Mr. Chair, extensive consultations were held across the Maritime provinces and Quebec in May and June of 2005, with further consultations with provincial officials, aboriginal organizations and other stakeholders in the spring of 2008, at which time comments were provided on the draft of a new policy.
The policy will provide a modernized framework for setting priorities and making decisions with respect to Atlantic salmon and will help guide the delivery of DFO programs in the Atlantic salmon endowment fund.
It will also allow any input by community stewardship groups to more open and transparent decision-making.