Thank you very much for the question, Mr. Angus.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is a non-profit, charitable, conservation-based organization. We rely on science in all of our policies. Whether it's invasive species, species at risk, or restoration of species, science is the watchword.
You're quite correct that the decision to cancel the spring bear hunt was not based on science, unfortunately, and we are now paying the price for it. Madame Lavallée, on second reading of the bill in the House, made some comments about wildlife management, the control of wildlife populations, and the role hunting plays in that. She's quite right.
In particular, the Government of Ontario, strangely enough, which cancelled the spring bear hunt and has caused so many problems because of that, has made the point in its policy documents at the Ministry of Natural Resources that hunting is the most valuable wildlife management tool available to it. Madame Lavallée noted, which was very insightful on her part, that other methods of controlling wildlife populations, such as birth control or relocation, are ineffective and costly. Wildlife managers have indicated that if recreational sport hunting is not available to them for wildlife population management and control, there aren't enough dollars to replace that for the actual management and control of wildlife.
So it's a valuable tool not only in terms of the recreation, culture, and heritage that we're talking about here today, but also in supporting the scientific management of populations in wildlife management units in Ontario and across the country.