Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of issues at the forefront right now that I could talk about, but I'm going to start with an issue that I need to keep at the forefront, commercial fishing.

Since 2014, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has been talking about a strategy to revitalize the commercial fishing industry. This is exactly the type of work that ITI should be undertaking. They're not trying to create an industry from nothing. We have a resource. There are markets for that resource, and we have entrepreneurs to drive the industry.

There are many positive signs that the industry is, and will continue to grow. So far this season, commercial fishermen have brought in 1.2 million pounds, double the catch from only three years ago, and there's a course in the works to train the next generation of commercial fishermen.

While there are undoubtedly positives, there's still work to be done, especially when it comes to addressing our infrastructure deficit. We are no further ahead with either refurbishing the existing fish plant, or constructing a new processing plant. This is an essential element to the government's strategy. Decades ago, the territory entered into a deal with the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation which reports to the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, so that our fishermen would be guaranteed resources and a buyer for their fish. However, Freshwater has failed to live up to their end of the bargain, and that our certified fish processing plant falls below CFIA standards and turn into a receiving station, all for the sake of Freshwater's bottom line.

I mentioned that the fishermen have doubled their catch in the past three years, however, there's a limit to how much this number can grow unless we have more access points on the lake, and redraw the lines of existing quota zones. These are both the responsibility of DFO as well.

So, Mr. Speaker, what all this means is that we've gone from having four active packing plants, a modern processing facility, and five landing sites 25 years ago; to one receiving plant, one landing site, and an out-of-date zoning system. This government will be happy to know, I'm not looking for money to fix these issues other than the $1.4 million they've already committed. I'm looking for political support. The Fishermen's Federation engaged DFO on a consistent basis, but they've hit a wall. They're told by bureaucrats, in order to allocate the funds needed, and make the changes needed to grow our fishing industry, word must come down from the top.

I know that the Minister of ITI has discussed the fishery with the Minister of DFO, but whatever came from that meeting did not trickle down. We need continuous political pressure and follow-up so that we can support the fishermen who have been doing everything they can to rebuild an industry that was once the pride of Hay River, and I know can one day become the pride of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.