Fisheries committee  Regarding lobster and crab, yes, that is a priority area for electronic logs this year, and all regions have plans to roll out mandatory.... Also, with respect to how we analyze the information, Quebec region, for example, is already gathering that electronic log information for lobster, so I would presume that is helping them inform their regional decisions.

Fisheries committee  Thank you for the question. When harvesters enter the data into their logbooks, that information is submitted live to the department. When they enter a remote area where there is a lack of access, the data in the logbook is essentially locked. When a harvester enters an area where access is regained, that information is then sent to the department.

Fisheries committee  I agree that the lack of timely catch data and information is a challenge. We need to have timely data for informing our fisheries' management decisions. I'm not responsible for Newfoundland's regional licensing in terms of perhaps some of the gaps in entering information there, but that's why we need to have e-logs going forward.

Fisheries committee  Perhaps I can answer this question. With respect to ELOGS, yes, we have made quite a bit of progress since the commissioner's report was finalized at the end of December. We have set out the technical specifications for all fisheries across the country for those applications to be developed, and they are based on the current paper logbook information that is already collected.

Fisheries committee  Perhaps I can add to that. Yes, licence-holders can obtain financing from both registered and non-registered financial institutions, and licence-holders—

Fisheries committee  Yes, and there are instances in which licence-holders enter into agreements with processors, for example, for the financing. That was done as a way to ensure that licence-holders have access to capital, and that's one of the reasons—for example, when we're looking at those loan agreements—that we're not just looking at what's on paper.

Fisheries committee  I can't speak to that. Perhaps I'll turn it over to Mr. Waddell.

Fisheries committee  To add, obviously we all recognize the important value and contribution that fishers and inshore fishers play in the Canadian economy and the Canadian fishing industry. What I will say is that, having looked now, so far, at about 23% of licence-holders in an in-depth review of licence-holders' eligibility under the inshore regulations, I would just say that, thanks to the work between licence-holders and the department, we are seeing a high degree of compliance with those regulations.

Fisheries committee  I'm sorry. Could you clarify the question, please? I apologize.

Fisheries committee  In terms of my role.... I can't speak to enforcement, but I can say that we have implemented a number of measures to ensure that licence-holders are compliant, essentially, with the inshore regulations. On the national online licensing website, when harvesters go to pay their fees, they have to declare that they're in compliance with those regulations.

Fisheries committee  The revisions to the agreements were done for a variety of reasons. For those 37, some were related to needing to adjust loan agreements, for example by having exit clauses. That goes back to the point that we do not want licence-holders to be beholden over a long period of time under those loan agreements.

Fisheries committee  In 2022-23, we sent out 507 questionnaires. In 238 cases, DFO staff asked for additional information, and in 55 of those cases, one or more existing agreements were changed or modified to bring licence-holders into compliance with the regulations.

Fisheries committee  In terms of the reasons for licence-holders to need to make modifications.... Those 55, for example...I don't have the full breakdown of the reasons. We could provide that if there's an interest. I would suspect it would be similar to what we saw the previous year, which was that loan agreements needed to be adjusted or changed, for example, or to have exit clauses in agreements, or to ensure that there was a reasonable amount of time for those loans to be paid down.

Fisheries committee  Exactly. Under the inshore regulations, we publish on our website the number of questionnaires, as you have referred to, that have been sent out to licence-holders to determine whether they are.... It's an examination to ensure they are eligible to hold an inshore licence. These questionnaires are sent out at every issuance.

Fisheries committee  Yes, certainly. In terms of their business decisions on the water, as examples, they would be things such as hiring their crew and designating their sub-operators. In terms of decisions off the water, it would be determining, if they enter into any loan agreements, who those would be with.