Fisheries committee  So really we would mostly go out of the fishery for help, or being in this organization, like store owners or people who are in the forest, to see where we're standing. It's not to run the whole thing; we want the outsiders to see where we're coming from and get some good people.

Fisheries committee  Yes. Last fall we were in a downfall on the price and we had some conference calls. They said if we didn't slash fishing by about the middle of December we might be tied to the wharf, because they were dropping to two bucks. Surprisingly, those guys all held, because of that migh

Fisheries committee  I don't think there are too many boats. In the first month we took too many lobsters out of the water for the supplies we had, and I don't know how you could control that. We have one of the biggest areas, district 34, and right now the fleet is divided. The extra effort, where

Fisheries committee  From my experience, it's a big issue. Like I said before, I'm a volunteer and I represent the best way that I can, and I believe in what I believe in. But this year, from what I believe in, and the way we lost the Sundays and we lost 25 traps, I was targeted the second day of fis

Fisheries committee  With the buddy-up system now, if two licence holders get together they're allowed to have 565 traps. We strongly believe that's a good system. The fear we have is that if our trap limit went down to 300 and the buddy-up system or partnership came in and allowed a full 600 traps--

Fisheries committee  I don't want to be quoted, but around the table, from what we've been hearing in setting this up, there are all kinds of trust agreements. There are, roughly speaking, about 300. EI is very important to us. Our crew in some years will make $30,000 or $40,000, but this year if th

Fisheries committee  I fish and I sell every day. I believe I have a good product. It's a fresh product and it's supposed to go on the market every day. What hurts me in my stomach is that my neighbour next door goes out and holds them until that mighty dollar goes up. This year I got $3.25 for my lo

Fisheries committee  We are allowed 375 on opening day in the fall, and 25 the first of April. The year before we were allowed 375 and 25 the first of February, and 25 the first of April. So this year we are down 25 traps.

Fisheries committee  Yes.

Fisheries committee  No, because some districts have fewer traps than we do and stock more than we do now.

Fisheries committee  No. From the time I was little I can remember—I'm talking mostly about in our wharf—we used to have a lot of fish draggers. Right now fewer than a handful are left. They're all owned by companies. We had all kinds of scallopers. It's the same thing: they're all owned by companies

Fisheries committee  Yes, it is.

Fisheries committee  I have no comments on that because I'm not in groundfish.

Fisheries committee  No, I don't think that would be good.

Fisheries committee  I'm Roger LeBlanc. I'm a fisherman. I'm with the Maritime Fishermen's Union. I'm on the lobster managing board, and I'm port representative for LFA 34. I represent roughly 80 out of 972 fishermen. With respect to this agency we're talking about, it's already money that we're pay