Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that the Canadian Wetlands Stewardship Conference is being held here in Ottawa this week. The three day conference brings together a wide range of resource sector groups, conservation organizations, government agencies and individual Canadians sharing a keen interest in the conservation of Canada's wetlands. It is being held at an opportune time as this past Sunday was Global Wetlands Day.
Wetlands are exceptionally diverse and productive ecosystems. They play a vital role in filtering and purifying our water. They provide habitat to over 30% of the species at risk in Canada. They also store large quantities of carbon, making wetlands a key resource as we address climate change issues.
Despite their tremendous importance to our nation, many of Canada's wetlands have been destroyed and those that remain are often under pressure from competing land use. While heartening progress has been made across Canada in wetlands conservation, it is critical that we collectively redouble our efforts to ensure that wetlands are protected for future generations.