Jean Lanteigne and Patrice Element made statements and answered questions.

At 4:03 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:07 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

At 4:33 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:36 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Dominique Robert, Claudio Bernatchez and Jason Spingle made statements and answered questions.

At 5:37 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:38 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Caroline Desbiens gave notice of the following motion:

That, as part of the present study on the criterias used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to set redfish fishing quotas, the committee invite Ms. Sylvie Lapointe, President of the Atlantic Groundfish Council, to testify and answer questions from members of this committee for one hour; that, as part of this study, the committee invite the Minister of the Environment, Mr. Steven Guilbault, for one hour to answer questions from members of this committee; that this meeting be held prior to the drafting of the report on this study.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

Rick Perkins moved, — That, given that the committee passed a motion calling for an emergency study to examine the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' plan to prevent violence in the elver fishery, the committee agrees to: (a) renew its invitation to Erin O’Gorman, President of the Canada Border Services Agency, which is responsible for preventing the illegal export of elvers at our borders; (b) renew its invitation to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mike Duheme, as the organization responsible for contract policing in Nova Scotia; (c) renew its invitation to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to appear on this emergency study to examine departmental plans to prevent repeated violence in the elver fishery; (d) prioritize the future regularly scheduled meeting slots towards this study, until completion, and that the committee hear from: i) whistleblowers working in the illegal elver fishery with knowledge of its operations, and organized crime elements, to be conducted in camera; (ii) officials from the Canada Food Inspection Agency; (e) and that the committee resume other scheduled business following the completion of the urgent elver study.

Debate arose thereon.

At 5:47 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:49 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.