Fisheries committee  At EI they told me that it's because of the expense. A catch of crab is 25% non-insurable because the expenses are low. In the seal hunt, the expenses are so high that they consider 50% of their trip to be expense and the other 50% to be work.

Fisheries committee  Yes. The way I understand it, if I have a company and my company sells seals, then I can put my employees under the EI system. The other thing is, I think this happens in the berry-picking industry and those things. I have to have a supervisor. Honestly, I am looking at this issue for my fishermen from the lower north shore to see which way I can match the Maggies one and the upper north shore one to qualify my fishermen.

Fisheries committee  The allocation that was given last year was a temporary regional quota. Is 8% the real number for the lower north shore of Quebec? This is a case where, through the working group, we have decided that if we didn't come to an agreement, we were going to an arbitrator. As it is now, and it's what happens in a lot of fisheries in Canada, the minister has 100% discretion over all species.

Fisheries committee  This is government.

Fisheries committee  For us, the opening date was a problem from 1995 to 2005. We were almost excluded from the hunt at this time because with the early opening date in the Maggies--we're part of the gulf--we couldn't participate in the hunt. When the seals were in front of my home, I was either iced in or the quota was caught.

Fisheries committee  There are no problems caused by the use of big boats because, in most zones, except on the Quebec North Shore, quotas are assigned to each category of boats. Big boats are those that are more than 35 feet in length. Small boats are those that are shorter than 35 feet. The problem is that someone can hunt on a big boat and, after having reached his quota on that big boat, continue hunting on a smaller boat.

Fisheries committee  Good day. I wasn't aware of this committee until late Friday. I see that the next place you are going to sit in Quebec is in the Maggies, and for me to go to the Maggies is $3,000, plus a four-day trip. So I will try to do some kind of presentation now. I've been sitting on the Quebec and Newfoundland and Magdalen and P.E.I. committee, that sharing committee--quota committee, sharing committee.