Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for inviting us to this meeting.
Merinov is Canada's largest integrated research and innovation centre in fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing. Merinov is a non-profit organization, and like the Center for Initiation to Research and Support for Sustainable Development, our mission is to support organizations and businesses in the sector, which is fisheries in Merinov's case.
Regarding the topic at hand, Merinov has been a subcontractor for Environment Canada for over 30 years. We conduct water quality analyses in the shellfish harvesting areas of the Gaspésie and the Îles de la Madeleine for the Canadian shellfish sanitation program, or CSSP.
Merinov has a team trained to collect water samples according to established standards, and a fleet of Zodiac boats and equipment of various sizes, allowing us to collect samples in both open waters and shallow waters along the coastline.
Merinov also operates an ISO 17025-accredited microbiology laboratory for fecal coliform analysis in seawater, using the required method. It is the only laboratory in eastern Quebec, or rather in the Gaspésie and the Îles de la Madeleine, with this accreditation.
The opening and closing of shellfish production or harvesting sites is a complex process involving two departments and a federal agency, namely, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, as well as service providers that conduct analyses as required to support decision-making. Merinov is one of the service providers that support the departments' missions. This strict process is important to prevent poisonings that can be fatal and to keep export markets open to Canadian products.
If you will allow me, I would like to give the floor to Marie‑Gil Fortin, our industrial researcher who is responsible for the project with Environment Canada pertaining to monitoring water quality. She will be able to give you more details on our role and the main areas in which Merinov could provide assistance to communities and organizations in the area to enable the opening of new sites.