Fisheries committee  Starting with price setting, Nova Scotia does not have a price-setting mechanism. This is a total harvester-buyer arrangement. We do not intervene in any way with any legislative price mechanism or system to negotiate prices. Historically, we have had serious issues on price setting and our pricing of crab.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for allowing the opportunity to present today. I'd like to bring greetings from Minister Belliveau. He's at cabinet today, but he would like to be here with me as we speak about the snow crab industry in Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, I have to fly solo today.

Fisheries committee  Nova Scotia has been involved in cage-increase programs for the last 15 years or longer. There are active programs under way in Nova Scotia. We have many different sizes, depending on the area. Virtually all of them have moved their carapace size up, and there are some active programs under way today.

Fisheries committee  As I mentioned earlier, I'm Greg Roach, Assistant Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture for Nova Scotia.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Minister. Now we'll quickly sum up the needs for the short term and the long term in two slides. The short term involves marketing initiatives, some of which have recently been announced. We have to move forward to expand our markets and get some form of immediate economic assistance to our fishing industry.

Fisheries committee  Thank you. Prince Edward Island.

Fisheries committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members and Ministers, my name is Greg Roach. I'm the Assistant Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for the Province of Nova Scotia. I've been asked, on behalf of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, to make the presentation to start off the discussions with you today.