Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Minister, I'd like to speak with you about the Quebec fisheries fund.
On November 22, we easily formed a united front on this issue in the Gaspésie. The Leader of the Bloc Québécois was with us. The gathering included a fishery industrialist, members of three fishermen's associations and members of first nations engaged in the fisheries. I had the opportunity to speak with them, and they wanted to see the Quebec fisheries fund renewed as well. Its non-renewal was one of the biggest disappointments in the latest budget.
When we talk to people about the importance of the fisheries fund, they tell us that they have lots of plans and all of them are going to improve our fisheries' productivity. They're involved in innovation and scientific partnerships.
When we talked about this the last time, Minister, you asked me to write to the Minister of Finance to try to win him over. I did exactly that. Unfortunately, we realized that the budget hadn't provided any money for the fisheries fund.
Have you taken steps with the Minister of Finance yourself about renewing the fisheries fund?