International Trade committee  I completely agree that there is enormous potential but there is still work to be done. Over the last 10 or 15 years, some very good things have been done to further highlight the value of lobster. We have 30 or 40 different products for frozen lobster alone. Over the last 15 yea

International Trade committee  Mr. Chair, the comments that were just made are very important. It is very important to continue finding new markets and new opportunities. The markets in Vietnam are extremely important for China. Products often pass through Vietnam. The markets in Australia also have an enormo

International Trade committee  I represent fishermen, mostly. It's really the processing industry that was affected by the harmonization of standards. We received very little information on this subject. There was a certain impact, which is just beginning to be felt. Like other groups, we are trying to find th

International Trade committee  If you will allow me, I would like to speak on this subject. It's a very good question, and I share the concerns that were just voiced. We have been working for five years now to try to find better solutions that suit fishers, those who wish to leave the industry, and above all

International Trade committee  I admit that the international waters concern the inshore fishery a bit less. The simple answer to your question is that each sector must do its part to protect the sustainability of our resources. Concerning shellfish and lobster, which are the most important products in the At

International Trade committee  Absolutely. There is the owner-operator policy and the fleet separation policy. These seem to be very complicated terms, but in fact, the term “owner-operator” means that the fisher is the owner of his or her own business. Obviously, their family members can work in the business

International Trade committee  Based on what we've read and what Fisheries and Oceans Canada told us in answer to our questions, nothing would put those policies at risk. However, we would still like to inject a note of caution, since this issue is so crucial for Atlantic Canada. Our fears are mostly based on

International Trade committee  I have a brief comment to make. The fact that gigantic fleets have been heavily subsidized is a world-wide concern. I have witnessed that myself in certain European regions, where the fleets are made up of huge vessels that look more like war ships. Obviously, according to us,

International Trade committee  Can I make another observation?

International Trade committee  Tariffs for frozen lobster and shellfish are much higher than for live lobster. Eliminating tariffs would be very important, especially for countries like Vietnam, where a high volume of shellfish passes through on the way to China. There are also the Japanese markets. In the eas

International Trade committee  It is very clear that we are in favour of the agreement. Perhaps I was not clear enough during my presentation, but we are in favour of all options for reducing tariffs on sea products. We have only one reservation, which I mentioned during my presentation. I think I have explain

International Trade committee  Mr. Chair, I would like to add something concerning jobs. I only need five seconds.

International Trade committee  The fishery sector is the largest private employer in the Atlantic provinces, with 25,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Finance committee  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to begin by thanking the members of the committee and extending my greetings to them, especially Mr. Easter, from the Atlantic region, and Mr. MacKinnon, whom I have not seen for some time. My comments will be in reply to question 3,

Finance committee  The Minister of Finance would probably not have great influence, despite the influence he may exert on extremely important policies aimed at creating and maintaining growth such as we have experienced. I also think this will be absolutely crucial for the next generation. He may n