Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans refused to give a straight answer on the question of whether his government was changing DFO's fleet separation and owner-operator policies. If the minister goes ahead with these changes to this long-standing policy, it will mean the end of the inshore fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador and across all of Atlantic Canada. Large processing companies and corporations will take over the fishery and traditional independent fish harvesters will be a thing of the past.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries give us a straight answer? Is the government going to change the owner-operator policy and fleet separation policy, yes or no?