Fisheries committee  Yes, I would echo those comments.

Fisheries committee  Thank you.

Fisheries committee  I feel that the role of the committee would be to increase this dialogue through the department and with first nations, because the dialogue has to be started. Hopefully by having this committee, we can start the discussions.

Fisheries committee  To add a little to what Mr. Jenkins said, with the fishing that's going on right now, depending on how that resource is handled or managed, we're not going to see immediate effects because it takes seven to nine years for a lobster to reach the catchable, marketable size. If anyt

Fisheries committee  I will have no problem having our staff forward you that correspondence again. As for the transparency and the resource, they are of the utmost importance to any fishermen's association, and I will have it be known that Chief Terry Paul has reached out. He's been quite busy with

Fisheries committee  At this time, I really can't answer that question without actually seeing any scientific facts in front of me.

Fisheries committee  Again, until negotiations or discussions actually start, I really don't have a lot to add to that, because those discussions have to be had. We have to be put in a room together so those discussions can happen and we can see what each party involved actually has in mind.

Fisheries committee  There's nothing I can think of right off the top of my head, but just in the little bit of dealings I've had up until this situation, DFO here in our local area has been fairly good in working with the industry. Since this stuff happened in October and up until now, they've kind

Fisheries committee  Not that I can say.

Fisheries committee  I didn't say there was no coalition; I said there is a coalition of fishing associations that have been working together since October of 2019, and we're trying to get the minister to come to the table with us as an industry.

Fisheries committee  I definitely think that things wouldn't have escalated in the manner they have now if conversations had started. This falls solely on the lack of guidance or governance from DFO.

Fisheries committee  Our association doesn't have any bylaws in place to enforce anything like that, nor have we come across anything like that. It may be something that would come up for discussion, but to ask an association if they are going to enforce some type of law that's been broken on the wat

Fisheries committee  That would have to be something that would go to a discussion among the board.

Fisheries committee  We're just asking DFO to help facilitate, and by getting this outside party to help direct the conversation, you can get more people from the industry and first nations at the table, so we can start the discussion.

Fisheries committee  No. We need first nations, harvesters and government in the same room having the conversation.