Natural Resources committee  Kris, you'd be more versed to answer the oil and gas piece, so if you don't mind, I would ask you to answer that.

Natural Resources committee  Good afternoon, honourable Chair and committee members. Once again, my name is Michael Barron. I'm the president of the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association. I represent multispecies harvesters. I am also an independent owner-operator harvester as well. I sit before you toda

Fisheries committee  I didn't get the last part of your question, because your mike didn't pick it up.

Fisheries committee  Yes, I definitely believe that. In the case of my community, the two local heavy equipment contractors were there pretty much within a week of Fiona, doing the beach cleanup and moving the rocks they could move and putting containers back in place. The local contracting compan

Fisheries committee  Depending on the amount of time lost and on which fishery it is in and how many vessels will be displaced, it could be substantial. There are 29 boats that tie up to one of the government wharves within my town, and it's fully subscribed. The other harbour within the community is

Fisheries committee  Are you asking how we could build it better?

Fisheries committee  You've heard other witnesses talk about the type of material we use. In the interim, when this has to be done quickly, you may have to resort to using some of the traditional methods, like using rock to build it up higher and getting newer timbers on, and that is in the interim.

Fisheries committee  I believe the government understands the urgency. Is it being addressed in an urgent manner? No, it's not.

Fisheries committee  I definitely think the programs, especially from ACOA, should go to harbours like that, and actually one avenue we are looking at for our membership is to help them through ACOA. That may be the perfect route for them to go, and I hope the federal government will help move it in

Fisheries committee  There's not so much a complete shift. The discussion has been had and I have sat in on a presentation on hybrid engines and stuff. One thing I'd like you to know is that wild captured fish is one of the lowest-carbon protein sources. In wild fisheries, for example, it is one to

Fisheries committee  When we have to rely on potential solar power and stuff where it's still so new, it leaves industry with a lot of questions. We're open to having a discussion. Thank you.

Fisheries committee  I don't represent anybody from the Magdalen Islands.

Fisheries committee  I represent them through other things we do with the federation, but I don't represent them in this type of situation. They're faced with the same situation we are right now, because....

Fisheries committee  From the photos I've seen from some of the fishermen over there of the sand dunes and stuff that filled in, they need some major dredging infrastructure there as well. That's just from what I've seen. I can't speak to it with 100% certainty.

Fisheries committee  All those need to happen, because there are some wharves that fishermen are using that aren't divested, that are federally protected and that are not receiving any work, because there are not enough vessels at that harbour. What seems to happen with small crafts and harbours is,