Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, change in the ice coverage and the longer open water season means greater potential for commercial fishing in the Arctic. Ten stakeholder countries gathered in Iqaluit this past summer to negotiate measures for sustainable fishing in the Arctic Ocean and address dangers of unregulated and reported fishing that could deplete the fish stock.

Mr. Speaker, currently international law says that anyone can fish on the high seas. Mr. Speaker, for those who don't know what the high seas are, the high seas are waters 200 miles off the shoreline. The area most likely to be fished in the central Arctic Ocean in the near future would probably be adjacent to the Beaufort Sea. The ice there has been opening up more and more over the course of the past five or six years. Any offshore fishing that takes place in that region has the potential to affect fish stocks in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, Canada, Denmark, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark have been meeting on the issue since 2010. This year, negotiations expanded to add delegations from Iceland, China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union. ICC was part of the Canadian delegation. I had the privilege of attending the sessions in July representing Canada.

One of the successes of this conference was ensuring that Inuit local and traditional knowledge is a key factor in working alongside scientific knowledge as we move forward. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier this sitting, to the people of the Arctic the ocean is our grocery store. Protecting the interests of Indigenous people in Canada's North is a big part of the negotiations, as well as incorporating traditional Inuit knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, over 200 species of fish thrive in our ocean, and we need a binding agreement on Arctic fishery that's broad enough and strong enough to stand up internationally. It was encouraging to see all 10 countries around the table willing to work together to address the issues of unregulated fishing and to cooperate on research and science. Traditional and scientific knowledge is essential to making the best decisions for the Arctic.

Mr. Speaker, despite the complexity of the negotiations, good progress was made this summer. Right now, the US is pushing for a legally-binding agreement. I am optimistic that all parties can reach their goal of finalizing a draft very soon. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.