Fisheries committee  Is there anything more that's being explored with regard to working with industry to ensure that they are partners in understanding what's going on with the lobster stock?

Fisheries committee  I know that the Atlantic fisheries fund has been useful in funding organizations from industry that are working collaboratively to come up with scientific research and data collection. I know of groups in my area that have been successful in receiving some of that funding. Do you anticipate the information they're able to gather to be helpful to the department's understanding of what's going on with the lobster stock?

Fisheries committee  I noticed the graph in your presentation, “Atlantic Canada Lobster Stock Status”; I think it's the second-to-last page. With regard to the Maritimes region, how come LFA 34 and LFA 35, which are of some interest to me in particular, are not there? Is there a different area where those are captured?

Fisheries committee  Okay. I assume the purple one is probably LFA 34, since that is the largest lobster fishing area.

Fisheries committee  That would be great. Thanks a lot.

Fisheries committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thanks, everybody, for joining us today on this important study. I'd like to ask Bernie Berry a question. I represent West Nova and know Bernie very well, and I know what good work the Coldwater Lobster Association does. Obviously this is a tremendously important industry for all of Atlantic Canada, and in particular southwestern Nova Scotia, where it is the backbone of our economy.

Fisheries committee  Yes. You mentioned as well the lobster nursery in Browns Bank as representing LFA 40, which is closed because it's seen as a breeding ground for lobsters. In your comments, you talked about the fact that it's possible that there may be other areas or places that we need to look at for lobster nurseries that could be even more beneficial to ensure the long-term sustainability of the stocks.

Fisheries committee  I know that the Atlantic fisheries fund has promoted some organizations working in partnership between industry and government in order to get better data and better scientific research, and I know that you've been involved in some of that work. Are there any other recommendations you can make to the committee about how government can better support industry actually doing some of this work themselves?

Fisheries committee  Okay. Mr. Pershing, I will turn to you for a moment. I thought your comments were very helpful. I note you made reference to a lobster baby boom that's occurred. Obviously, the lobsters are being dispersed in different ways, but northward I suppose to the northern parts of the Gulf of Maine or nearby southwestern Nova Scotia.

Fisheries committee  The idea was to track or determine the dispersion of lobsters and whether they are migrating from one area to another, or whether the movements of lobsters themselves or larvae or whatever is having an impact on where we're finding lobsters, because we know that they have been seen tracking northward for the last number of years.

Fisheries committee  In setting the terms of this study, we had a discussion. I made it pretty clear, I think, before we determined that this was something we were going to do, what parameters I had in mind. In a short title it may not be easy to capture all of that, so if the word “migration” wasn't broad enough to capture what I have articulated already, then, hopefully, what I meant is now understood.

Fisheries committee  Thanks so much, Mr. Chair. Ms. Sparks, you talked about the Asian carp program being a useful model, one that incorporated discussions amongst a number of jurisdictions around the Great Lakes. Can you tell me what's going on right now with regard to Asian carp in the Great Lakes?

Fisheries committee  Do you have any thoughts about any issues that it may raise or that we should be aware of?

Fisheries committee  Yes, that's very helpful. Thanks very much. Perhaps I'll turn to Dr. MacIsaac, then, to answer the second part of the question. My understanding is that there's an examination of whether or not Asian carp could be used as bait in the lobster fishery on the Atlantic coast. I know there's some discussion about that.

Fisheries committee  It could be a useful way to dispose of these invasive species.