Fisheries committee  As I mentioned, coordination is the first thing that needs to happen. Before granting a licence, DFO should check with Transport Canada to see whether the vessel is registered and whether its stability was assessed. The department should ask fishers applying for a fishing licence

Fisheries committee  Our chair, Marc-André, and I have met with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans last year, and we provided a briefing. We have those briefings notes that we could—

Fisheries committee  Yes.

Fisheries committee  Yes.

Fisheries committee  It is down a bit. The average used to be a little above 10, and it's dropped.

Fisheries committee  Yes.

Fisheries committee  We are an independent, arm's-length agency, so we don't work too closely with any of the regulators.

Fisheries committee  In our investigation reports, we have identified specific findings in each case, in each accident, and those were sent to the ministers.

Fisheries committee  I think the main concern we have is that there doesn't appear to be, based on the information we have, adequate consideration of safety in issuing licences. That's the main thing, and that's where it needs to start. They're looking at the commercial viability of the industry, the

Fisheries committee  I think you have to look at each case, but essentially having an extension by itself is not necessarily a safety problem if it's done right. If someone is considering modifying a vessel, there needs to be an assessment of those changes and the impact on that vessel and its stabil

Fisheries committee  I've been with the TSB since its inception in 1990.

Fisheries committee  DFO and Transport Canada use different methods, depending on which regulations and which rules we're looking at. Yes.

Fisheries committee  We agree, and that's the point we're making before the committee.

Fisheries committee  Good morning everyone. Mr. Chair, honourable members, thank you for inviting the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to appear today. My name is Jean Laporte. I am the Chief Operating Officer. Captain Marc-André Poisson, our Director of Marine Investigations, accompanies me.