Fisheries committee  We'll certainly look into it. It may have been a timing issue. The timing of the commercial sector fishery may have been done in a way that ended up removing the opportunity for the sports sector, and we'll have to take a look at that for future seasons.

Fisheries committee  It is a priority, and the department has to work with the provinces to redouble its efforts in Europe in order to convince Europeans to keep their market open for our products. The director of the Resource Management Directorate and the director of the International Affairs Directorate are currently both in Copenhagen.

Fisheries committee  That's recommendation. Of course, we are doing various things to convince the Europeans to keep their market open to our products. But you have given us something else to work with.

Fisheries committee  Yes, that's possible, it's a good idea.

Fisheries committee  It's used predominantly for paying salaries. We have been looking at what we call A-basing the budget for aquaculture. We've been trying to stabilize it, because it's been a program that has, in the past, been funded through a number of temporary measures. It's now on a more stable footing.

Fisheries committee  Clearly the department has recently been involved in support. If you look at the announcement regarding Cooke Aquaculture's move into the south coast of Newfoundland, you'll see that there were some contributions from this department and other departments to help facilitate that.

Fisheries committee  We know there is a huge problem with the shrimp industry in the Arctic. It does not only affect cooked shrimp, but also other products. We worked in collaboration with the provinces. In fact, we have studied the situation to find ways of helping the harvesters. Further, we also worked with a special team to study the issue of tariffs imposed by the European Union.

Fisheries committee  Unfortunately, large shrimp come from Asia or elsewhere, and we usually don't import large shrimp from Europe. We are trying to improve the market here in Canada, and imposing a tariff on shrimp imports really does not help Canadian fishermen.

Fisheries committee  The history of that is after the decision work was done to look at the response. We determined we would have to create the capacity to negotiate, to consult with first nations, to manage additional fisheries, and to provide fisheries access. An additional initial allotment was provided and then, after going back to government, a further allotment composed of operating money to allow us to have people who could consult with first nations and to allow us to operate fishery officers, etc., in those areas.

Fisheries committee  No, the Marshall stuff is not long gone. We still have the operating capacity. We still have that, and we still have moneys available this year for wrapping up the process of obtaining access for first nations, as part of their current crop of grievances, and providing that to them in this fiscal year.

Fisheries committee  Some of that has already been done in terms of there being evaluations of the program. There has been work done, not just by the government, but also by first nations. There has certainly been a tremendous impact on the economies of a number of the first nations communities--jobs created, hope provided in terms of employment, and so on.

Fisheries committee  I think a lot of the work has been done to date. We are ready for that final stage, the approval, and then we will move the money to the group. They will then be able to start the process of administering it.

Fisheries committee  No, we don't have the same vessel restrictions. Obviously in the gulf it's a 42-foot vessel size for lobster. In Southwest Nova, it's 45 feet. We have 65-foot barriers that are common in the Atlantic. But where you have ITQ fisheries in British Columbia, it's much less of an issue.

Fisheries committee  There is for some of the vessels. I'd have to come back with more specifics on that, but for some of the fleets, there would be a size restriction. As I recall, it would be for gillnet fisheries, etc.

Fisheries committee  On the seine fleet, I can't recall what it is. But certainly, for the gillnet fleet, when you have an opportunity to fish salmon, it's an opening of close to 12 hours or whatever, and you have size restrictions on those kinds of fleets.