Agriculture committee  Not right now.

Agriculture committee  I find your comment amazing. The fishing industry of Canada has a wide range of regulations put on it by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. With respect to the food safety element, we're subject to Health Canada's rules and regulations and to CFIA. We have probably the most

Agriculture committee  Our organization certainly does have the major seafood processors or corporations in Canada. At the same time, as I mentioned, in fishermen's co-operatives, we're very happy having them as members. We're very careful in our board of directors. We have boards of directors based on

Agriculture committee  All I'm saying here is that the answer is not importing temporary workers: it's innovation and automation. That's where we have to go. What I'm going to say is that in terms of Growing Forward, you have three great programs: AgriMarketing, AgriInnovation, and AgriCompetitivenes

Agriculture committee  Thank you very much. I think this is the first time the Fisheries Council of Canada, and in fact the seafood industry, has been invited to this committee, and we're very, very thankful for it. I noted Gordon's comment that the government is basically advocating eating less food

Fisheries committee  First, one other things that's happening, as you mentioned, in terms of the economic viability of high seas fishing, is that China is finding a way to do or approach that. That's a concern. What China does now in certain areas is that it basically sends out its harvesting vessels

Fisheries committee  I have two comments. One is that you have to understand that these types of reports saying that 25% of the fish are IUU really haven't been substantiated. There are feelings that's a fairly high level. The other issue, as I mentioned in my presentation, is that at some point in

Fisheries committee  Well, among the concrete measures that could be taken, one is subsidies for fishing vessels on the high seas. Another is that you could make a declaration that registering any vessel under a flag of convenience is by definition an illegal activity. Those are very dramatic types o

Fisheries committee  As you say, it's really hard to measure in terms of our major markets. For example in the United States, Canada, and so on, it's not an issue. In China, it's is an expanding industry and we are concerned about that. It has increased substantially. It's our third largest market.

Fisheries committee  I would say that in terms of the wild fishery in particular, it's a price issue. If we can attack that, get that out of the marketplace, Canadian prices in those markets would increase.

Fisheries committee  I think we have a good reputation at the meetings of both the UN and the FAO. Canada was an articulate spokesperson on the issues. Actually, it was quite expansive on the challenges and what seems to be workable or not. Canada is fairly articulate in these meetings and has been l

Fisheries committee  Yes, I agree, and that's one of the problems. As you know, if Canada commits to something, it's due diligence and—

Fisheries committee  —we do it right. In many countries I would think the certificates they're providing.... In fact, the EU is already taking action on that because there are a number of countries they have identified whose certificates they are suspicious are not really not up to par. I must ad

Fisheries committee  I must add, in terms of NAFO and the regional fisheries management organizations that Canada is participating in, this issue of illegal fishing is pretty much top of concerns. Basically, the countries are working better together in monitoring and regulating. I think the citations

Fisheries committee  I'm saying any vessel, in terms of a subsidy. The thing is that long-distance fishing, by and large, is uneconomic unless you have a subsidy. That's why the Germans got out of it; that's why the UK got out of it; and we're not fishing on the high seas. To us, that's a big issue.