Fisheries committee  What we did was get together. We had a meeting with people from Paspébiac to Sainte-Thérèse. There were more than 150 of us in the room, and we had no idea what was going to happen to us. We knew we would not be receiving employment insurance this year. However, we did want to know what the process was to qualify for it, before going out to sea and working for four weeks to fill the fish plants and supply the global fish market.

Fisheries committee  The first contacts I had were with provincial government officials. I do not know who is looking after us, but I know a meeting is scheduled for today. This afternoon, the captains will be meeting with some people, and I believe they are from the local employment centre. The Quebec government will probably be providing the training.

Fisheries committee  To start, I'd like to comment that I'm a fisherman, and what happens to us is that when the fishing quota comes out every year, it's 72 hours before we go out on the sea. If something bad happens in that period of time, I don't have time to turn around and find myself another job, because I'm a seasonal worker.