Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has stated time after time in this place that he would not take quota from one community to give to another. Yet we know his department is currently and actively offering to purchase snow crab licences in Guysborough county, which in turn would be handed over to native communities. The minister was surely aware of this practice when he made those comments.
In the interest of saving an historic fishing community in Atlantic Canada will the minister consider purchasing some licences for Canso and Mulgrave and will he meet with the mayor and stakeholders to discuss their future?