Fisheries committee  The biggest problem, and it's been around for years, is that when somebody is finally convicted of something, they get a $1,200 fine, a $2,000 fine. Here in LFA 35, if I get caught with 50 or 100 extra traps and I go to court, chances are I won't be found guilty, so it's no big deal anyway.

Fisheries committee  They get a percentage of the pie or something. In all honesty, there's no--

Fisheries committee  I think Alma's always been.... We've always been lucky in that sense. We fish until the end of July, and that's the boom of our tourist season. Actually there are three lobster shops in Alma now, and they take full advantage of that tourist market. You can't go to see them being steamed, due to the regulatory process; the rooms have to be sanitized and so on.

Fisheries committee  I think New Brunswick could do something with that, and I think P.E.I. and Nova Scotia could also. But I think that has to be done on a local level. I don't know if the government has to do that or if that's an issue we're going to have to come up with. Trust me, if I'm going to be offered $4 a pound this year, I'm not going fishing.

Fisheries committee  I've been to some federal and provincial meetings, and I'm on the provincial Fundy Forum. This PSP issue has caused some issues, and it's going to be specific to the Bay of Fundy probably more than to anywhere else. I've heard the briefing. It was $500,000. It's not a massive amount of money.

Fisheries committee  I don't understand exactly what you mean.

Fisheries committee  Do you mean that it be done locally?

Fisheries committee  So that would be done by a government body.

Fisheries committee  It could possibly be looked at. The one thing we have to understand is that there's a market for every lobster and we have to look at economic viability as well as sustainability. When we talk about economic viability, if I'm a fisherman and I have a 10-week or a 12-week season and that's the timeframe I have to support myself, my family, and my crew for the year, then I have to take what I can catch.

Fisheries committee  Do you want to hit that one?

Fisheries committee  The Bay of Fundy has the tastiest lobsters.

Fisheries committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable members. I'd like to thank you for this opportunity to express my views, and I look forward to your questions. I've been involved in this industry since 1984, mostly as a harvester. I've had a couple of stints as a buyer, here in Alma and also on the west coast of Newfoundland for five years.