Fisheries committee  Getting back to the March 2009 meeting, in the notes, on page 12 at the bottom, we were discussing exploitation rates, whether it should be 13%, 17%, or whatever. Option two was 20%, and here is Claire MacDonald, the senior advisor for snow crab at DFO: It should be noted that

Fisheries committee  In my understanding, everybody who walked away understood what the arrangement was going to be if it reached 9,700 tonnes. Nobody approached us--

Fisheries committee  --and said they would be disenchanted if it hit the 9,700 tonnes, and that there would be issues. We had no idea that discussions or anything was happening until after the fact, and we picked up licence conditions for 2009 and found out we were shortchanged 10%. We had no idea-

Fisheries committee  No. If you go back and look through DFO's documents, we protested in 2005 when the minister decided to go forward instead of putting in the 50-50 immediately. His documents said the sharing arrangement was to be maintained until the increase of 9,700 tonnes, which at the TAC leve

Fisheries committee  No, we didn't like the arrangement that had been accepted when it didn't go through with the full recommendation of 50-50 from day one. You said you received information that since 2005 it has been contentious. We haven't had any problems or issues, other than arguing with DFO

Fisheries committee  We are one of the ones who are holding out from paying science. As Bernie said, why should we pay for science? When we do find extra crab, we don't get the agreement and the amount of crab we're entitled to. We worked hard for this management plan. Back in 1998, when we first wer

Fisheries committee  Just to go back to this appendix B, here in area 23, the future that the independent panel saw for area 23 at the time was that the permanents had 37 licences. There were to be 37 licences created for area 23. That would make everybody equal. But instead they created 21 licences.

Fisheries committee  The body of it is basically the same. The only thing—

Fisheries committee  The only thing that has changed is what they've done to the sharing, which is the most important issue in this whole document.

Fisheries committee  From what time?

Fisheries committee  Well, on February 18, 2009, this letter came out from Joan Reid informing everybody with a heads-up, and that triggering number was going to come into effect. On March 25 we had our advisory meeting and we spoke, and the last statement was concerning this 50-50 split. We did not

Fisheries committee  Good morning. My name is Josephine Kennedy, and I represent multi-species licence holders in eastern Cape Breton. I'm also speaking on behalf today of fishermen from Gabarus to Cape North, part of the quota holders, which we are now known as. First off the rail, I want the pan