Fisheries committee  This is exactly why we pursued the beneficial ownership survey. In advance, and in recognizing the recommendation from this committee, we extended the application of that recommendation nationally and sought to do a review of the department's portfolio of foreign ownership polici

Fisheries committee  Again, that could be a decision that the minister could elect to pursue, subsequent to discussion and consultation with stakeholders.

Fisheries committee  Reflecting on the survey itself, and setting aside the concepts or the discrepancies that people have highlighted with regard to the survey and how it was undertaken, there was still a commitment made by the department that we would return and have an informed discussion with par

Fisheries committee  I won't speculate on “tomorrow”, but I do agree with the concept that it is modular. We are capable of moving in a modular fashion. Again, on the foreign ownership piece, I think that is a piece where frankly we could move in a more nimble fashion, recognizing the completion of

Fisheries committee  The only thing I'd build onto that response is to indicate that in all instances where we have stood up those policy regulatory tools, we've done so through consultation with our indigenous partners and industry itself. There is the immediate tool kit. It does run into the practi

Fisheries committee  I didn't necessarily say “non-active”. I'm sorry. I said that 77% hold only one licence, and 18% hold only two to three licences. I don't have the breakdown in terms of which of those single-licence or multi-licence-holders would be holding non-active fisheries.

Fisheries committee  Seventy-nine per cent of licence-holders responded, and we have information on 88% of licences. Ultimately, it's only 12% of licences on which we have insufficient information through the survey. However, we still have a line of sight on those through our own systems, and we'll b

Fisheries committee  That will be subject to what we find in our own databases in terms of holdings. Once we have a better sense of the total quota that is associated with the 88% of licences that we have information on, it will further narrow the gap in terms of what is in play.

Fisheries committee  I am privy to those concerns being expressed both to this committee and to ourselves at the departmental level.

Fisheries committee  Again, the survey was meant to inform and establish a baseline understanding of information. I think we are in a markedly improved posture with regard to understanding what is transpiring on the water. Case by case, we will be doing follow-ups with licence-holders who elected not

Fisheries committee  I'm stumbling a bit, perhaps, with the notion of incentivizing response. I don't think we could have done anything further to incentivize response. We probably could have taken a more proactive communications posture with regard to this and reached out more assertively to licence

Fisheries committee  I think the minister's mandate letter has outlined a number of priorities for our department, which we are all dutifully working to advance.

Fisheries committee  You're correct. In the Pacific region, we had a 79% response rate. That 79% comprises 88% of licences, though, so it's a smaller delta. Then, of the parties who did not respond, over three-quarters of them, 77%, hold but a single licence. What we experienced in the course of the

Fisheries committee  We're certainly open to whatever this committee would elect to provide in terms of recommendations and guidance and we look forward to receiving that. Ultimately, we are going to be in a much more informed position with the results of the beneficial ownership survey to have that

Fisheries committee  Yes, I was.