Mr. Speaker, lobster fishermen from Quebec, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are reacting to the federal government's recent announcement with disappointment, frustration and concern.
For an industry that should be netting $5 billion in value to those provinces over the next five years, the government has extended $15 million in income support. That $15 million is to be spread over five provinces for 10,000 lobster fishermen.
The FFAW, the MFU and several Quebec-based fisheries organizations have all come out and said that the federal government's response is far too little and far too late. Some have said that the program is a good start, but for it to be a good start, there would have to be more on the way.
Little concrete information is out yet about the program, but here is a portion of what we do know: $15 million will be spread among 10,000 lobster fishermen; no applications or specific eligibility criteria have been established yet; and since it is based on a comparison of 2008 lobster earnings versus 2009 lobster earnings, it will not be until at least the fall of 2009 before one dime is spent.