Hon. David Richards: Thank you for being here, minister.

I first want to mention that my wife and I were fortunate enough to have dinner with your father at Rideau Hall the night I was awarded the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non‑fiction, about fishing on the Miramichi, long considered, of course, the greatest Atlantic salmon river in the world, and I will always remember the graciousness and absolute kindness of your dad.

Unfortunately, the river I wrote about no longer exists, and there are a few reasons for this: one is the horrid increase of predatory striped bass that are devastating our young salmon at the mouth of the northwest Miramichi, and the uncontrolled seal population at the mouth of the Miramichi Bay, off Escuminac or Neguac. Painfully worse, there is an almost glib disregard for this by both our subsequent fisheries ministers from both parties at our Department of Fisheries and Oceans, or DFO.

This is not just a local irritation but one that should have raised some real national concern. I have pleaded for six years for definitive action to be taken in order to control the striped bass population, even a culling of seals, and preserve our salmon and an entire way of life for our fishermen and our Indigenous people.

I urge you, while there is still time, to take up this cause, and, if you do, I will award you the title of honorary Miramichier, sir.