Fisheries committee  Clearly you're raising a number of issues that were on our minds when we asked the FRCC to take another look at lobster ten years after their first report. We are concerned about the fact that over that ten-year period the vessels have changed substantially. The fishing pattern

Fisheries committee  We focused our conservation protection program and our fisheries officers on this problem last year. That's going to continue as a priority for their monitoring efforts. As you know, it has been a problem in the past, so I guess the concern you have is that as people come under a

Fisheries committee  There's no question that there's a lot of pressure and there are a lot of demands. I would say they have a very strong voice. I can't really talk too much about the whole integrated management process in southwest Nova Scotia and that whole issue of oil and gas. That's the area o

Fisheries committee  The herring scene is actually our gulf herring scene; they can go from western Newfoundland through to the southern gulf. Right now, those plans have not yet been provided to the minister. We are looking at some challenges around some of the abundance concerning the spring spawne

Fisheries committee  It's 25 fathoms off the north coast of P.E.I.

Fisheries committee  Yes. The billion dollars would include the export value of the fishery. It's not just the landed value, but also the processed value added, etc. That's why it's larger than the landed value.

Fisheries committee  Yes, we are ready to have meetings and discussions in order to try to find a way to correct the situation and to avoid major problems this season. That is what we are doing in the Atlantic region. We are looking for solutions in each region...

Fisheries committee  Yes.

Fisheries committee  Up to now, we have not had many discussions with the Government of Quebec, but we could follow up with them about it. That may be a possibility, but I cannot say for sure at the moment.

Fisheries committee  We have had discussions and they will continue. I can say that we are working with all lobster fishermen to find a way to improve the returns and the sustainability in the fishery. But I cannot say now, today, whether it is possible for the federal government to use existing prog

Fisheries committee  Yes, they used their resources to put that program in place and it looks to me like one way to solve their problems. In the Atlantic region, the problem is the same. Fishermen have invested too much money and too many resources in the fishery. They have to find a way to reduce th

Fisheries committee  The month of March was focused on generic promotion of lobsters in the marketplace. They were looking at various promotions in seafood shows and so on. What we're looking at in the future would have to be worked out with the other departments involved and with the provinces. As y

Fisheries committee  That was for the month of March, essentially. We couldn't go into the next fiscal year. We had to do a program that was concentrated in the one short period of time. We're now looking at what might be done in the future.

Fisheries committee  We do agree. It is impossible to have one solution for all the problems in the lobster fishery all over the Atlantic. We have to work with the fishermen in each zone and find solutions that are best for each situation. All zones are different. The problem is the same, the price.

Fisheries committee  Perhaps we have to find a way to work together. It is possible that the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada can find a way to work together. However, as I said previously, it is not possible for us to say that there will be a large-scale program to buy back fishing