Fisheries committee  We have many indicators for bycatch, because scientists are looking at this issue.

Fisheries committee  An improvement in the...?

Fisheries committee  We collect and capture the stock status as to whether it's known or not known, and if it is known, what the status is. All of that information is captured in what used to be called the fisheries checklist—and that's the name that's coming to my mind right now—which we make publicly available.

Fisheries committee  Globally I think the status of herring is a lot better than it currently is in the northwest Atlantic. As for answering your other question, about consultation, for all of our major fish stocks we have regular consultation with industry and indigenous groups in which we discuss the state of science and the performance of the fishery in the previous year and seek views on the best approach for management going forward.

Fisheries committee  Depending on the advisory committee, there are various levels of minutes, as distinct from records of decision, and in some cases that information is put directly into the decision document itself. In other cases, we have completed rebuilding plans, and industry and indigenous perspectives are laid out there as well.

Fisheries committee  I would just interrupt a bit. In the prepared remarks I had, there is, region by region, a description of the current status of the management for each of the stocks.

Fisheries committee  I think the references that you are making relate to the science. Certainly we are making active decisions on the management of all of these stocks based on what is generally reasonably good science, so there is an active management regime in place for all of the herring stocks.

Fisheries committee  He has chaired the meetings, so there you go. He has chaired the meetings around a management strategy evaluation, which is a different way of basically bringing the science discussion into how we decide on management measures. It's a way that allows us to test our management decisions, essentially in advance, using scientific models of the stock in the order of the ecosystem in some ways, in order to identify whether or not the specific management actions that we're taking work.

Fisheries committee  I'm going to have to buy him a coffee.

Fisheries committee  We will be able to provide the committee with data. It's not my area, but I believe the department would have information around the level of export of the commercial catch. My colleague Marc noted earlier that the portion of the commercial catch that isn't exported is almost certainly used for bait within Canada.

Fisheries committee  It is absolutely, I suppose, a statement of fact that if the harvest is further reduced, then there's less fishing effort, which benefits the stock. There are other species out there that could quite likely be used as bait. Whether it's the best use of those species or not is frankly a commercial decision, primarily in terms of the net value, for example, with redfish.

Fisheries committee  That occurs every year when we bring forward advice around the management of each of the stocks. It's based on the best available science, so we provide advice around what we believe to be a sustainable level of harvest.

Fisheries committee  One of the things I mentioned earlier that I would point out is that the stock within the maritimes region.... Kent can probably speak more completely—

Fisheries committee  We actively manage all of the herring stocks. There are fisheries management decisions that get incorporated into IFMPs, integrated fisheries management plans, and are based on the best available science for all of those stocks.

Fisheries committee  As we've mentioned a few times, one of the key tools at our disposal is fishing effort. In a number of those stocks, we have reduced the total allowable catch based on science. Those reductions have occurred over a period of time. I guess I would answer that we have taken additional actions and will continue to do so and establish management plans based on that science.