I would like to comment on it. It is a great question.
When I started in the 1970s, I could fish six months of the year. I put my boat in the water around April 15 and I could fish scallops for two weeks before I started lobster-fishing. Right after lobster-fishing, I was at the groundfish, then back to the scallops, and then at the tuna. It was six months of non-stop fishing.
We don't have that anymore. Our bread and butter industry on P.E.I. is lobster. If we are lucky enough to get a bit of halibut, we fish a bit of halibut, or a few tuna, or some mackerel, and things like that. Fishing, as we now know it, is totally different from when I started in the 1970s. If we had more fish to catch, I don't think fishers would be on EI as much as they are, but unfortunately we don't have the resource anymore to go out and target.
Regarding his comments, I think he should go to some of the fishing villages in April and see the guys lining up for jobs and trying to get on boats, and stuff like that. As I said when Minister Finley was on P.E.I., I don't know any lazy fishermen. I know a lot of fishermen who don't have anything to fish, but I don't know any lazy fishermen.
Thank you.