Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
My question is for Fisheries and Oceans Canada but not limited to it.
There is one particular aspect of the report that caught my attention. It was regarding illegal fishing. It says:
The presence of fishing vessels, and their share of overall traffic, has increased significantly in the Arctic. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the Arctic has been a rising concern, especially because of its potential effect on fragile marine ecosystems and the economy and the risk of increased tensions among fishing nations.
Can the department tell us a bit more about that? Who is doing the illegal fishing, and how severe is it?
To me, that is an act of encroachment on our territory. You don't see that a lot on the news, but it is a very serious problem. If illegal fishing is happening, that could lead to many other illegal things that might be more problematic.
The second point is regarding the fragile ecosystem up north. Given the effects of climate change now, making the surrounding water more accessible, I want to get a better understanding of how severe the problem is.