Environment committee  We have 6,500 members and supporters of the federation.

Environment committee  As I mentioned in my opening remarks, we have a wildlife resources card in Nova Scotia. There are 100,000 people who actually have that card.

Environment committee  We do. As a matter of fact, I think the most important part of what we do goes back to that five dollars that's collected off of our licences, which is used to generate money for research. Many of the students at Acadia University apply for that money in grants in order to study, in most cases, species at risk—Blanding's turtle and animals of that nature.

Environment committee  We certainly are in Nova Scotia. The province has spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of energy on hunter education programs to ensure that our young folks coming into the program learn the values around hunting and fishing. Part of that training is a whole course on ethics, how we should treat wildlife and how we should deal with it in the future.

Environment committee  There is licensing under the Migratory Birds Convention Act for people who want to hunt ducks, geese, and upland birds, such as Wilson's snipe and others. Yes, you pay a fee, and there is a habitat stamp attached to that. That voluntary eight dollars goes to Wildlife Habitat Canada, which is a giving organization.

Environment committee  Sir, that's a question over my pay grade. I'm sorry. I can't answer that one for you. I know that these licences are sold primarily at the post office, so the post office would turn in both sides of the money, the eight dollars for the licence and the eight dollars for the habitat stamp.

Environment committee  In the same fashion, sir, under the migratory bird act, this is a three-country act, actually, which includes Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The regulations are dealt with on that international basis in order to determine populations of animals, bag limits, and things of this nature.

Environment committee  I'll jump in on this one. I believe that at this point the federal government is playing a robust role with respect to hunting and trapping. On the trapping scene, they have been involved with the international standards for traps, as Charlie LeBlanc mentioned earlier, and I think they continue to keep that role and keep on top of that situation.

Environment committee  Thank you for the question. I'm going to work backwards. Our federation has a strong position with respect to science when it comes to wildlife management. We don't want any decisions made politically unless they're backed up by science. We've had that problem in this province before.

Environment committee  Just a little bit, Bob.... The element that we're looking at is that in the United States there were two funds that were developed to tax hunters and anglers on the equipment that they purchased. It was a small tax levied, for instance, on the purchase of a boat or a fishing rod or a shotgun, or whatever.

Environment committee  Yes, Mr. Sopuck. Thank you very much for the question. The hunting and angling advisory panel was announced by the Prime Minister a few years ago, to bring groups like mine and groups of a national nature such as Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl foundation together to discuss common issues and to try to nip problems in the bud and get out ahead of things that could be difficult for government to deal with.

Environment committee  Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. I'm nursing a bit of a cold so you'll excuse me if I have to go to my water from time to time. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you about one of my favourite subjects and one of my greatest pleasures, hunting.

Environment committee  Good morning and thank you.

Canadian Heritage committee  With respect to this legislation, the bill was taken to our board of directors, and it was discussed quite thoroughly. Everybody understood it and what it meant. There is some symbolism there; there's no question about that. But by the same token, it's something we can also wrap ourselves around and take back to our provincial government to get them moving on a day we've asked for in the past and for which they haven't yet come through.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think it's a different type of fishing that we're talking about, to start off with, because a commercial fishery.... But let's get back to the feelings, to the first part of your question. I think the thing that happens to me, and I will probably speak for 99% of the people who participate in our activities, is that once we step into the field or step into the brook, the worries of our days disappear.