We have 1,700 employees in Atlantic Canada, and we buy from over 1,400 independent fishermen. In responding to new trade agreements and opening up new areas, we always look for new ways to increase value. When you have more places to sell your product and more opportunities, it creates more leverage for companies that are selling in the market. If we have five new countries to sell to, and we're now selling a particular species in two or three, then we can spread that around, allocate some to each, and get the price up.
That's what I've seen in our industry. As we've expanded our trade agreements, we have more opportunities. We used to sell 70% or 80% to the U.S. market in the 1980s, and we didn't have other opportunities. The North American Free Trade Agreement, together with other trade agreements Canada has negotiated, have created more legs on the stool. We now have more leverage going to market. If you're going to a single market, you're not going to get the best price. But if you're going out to several markets, then you have leverage to tell them you're not going to sell them all your product, but you'll sell them a little bit if they give you a certain price.
From what I've seen in our business, that's really what's happened with these trade agreements. It's been a real opportunity to bring greater value back to our province and the country. That value gets shared among all the participants. Trade means higher prices for the fishermen, better opportunities for companies, and increased revenues for government as a result of higher incomes. It's a win-win, as we see it, and that's really what happens, because we have a finite supply of fish.