Mr. Chair, we are glad to see the government and the House unanimously support my Motion No. 151 to tackle marine plastics. Part of that motion was to deal with ghost and derelict fishing gear.
We were glad to see the government come up with $8.6 million, but some of that went to industry. We were glad to see it go to the Ocean Legacy Foundation and the Emerald Sea Protection Society as they are good players. However, there are concerns about the funding going to the very industry that has created the pollution itself.
What we were calling for was a polluter-pay system, which would include better standards for enforcement and monitoring, traceability, banning of toxic materials and of course extended producer responsibility for those who created the plastic pollution.
Will the minister apply those principles and do it soon?