Thank you.
Good afternoon. My name is Tony Rodgers. I am the executive director of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters. My federation of 32 hunting, trapping, and angling clubs has been in existence since 1930, and we are very proud of our outdoor heritage. We are the largest conservation organization in Nova Scotia and take pride in ourselves for being on the front line of all environmental and wildlife conservation discussions.
We would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to be here today to speak in support of Bill C-465, An Act respecting a National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day. We would also like to salute Mr. Norlock for introducing the bill and for his understanding of the outdoor community.
The people who hunt, trap, and fish in Canada are in some ways a very complicated folk. Some people who don't hunt and fish find it difficult to understand why we would get out of a nice warm bed at 4 o'clock in the morning, slip into a pair of rubber boots and a parka, and try to catch a duck or some other wild creature.
Well, there are many reasons. Hunting and angling are good for the soul. They help you to better commune with nature. They put different food on the table. They allow the participants to contribute in a hands-on way to meaningful wildlife conservation and to help promote the North American system of wildlife management.
To me, conservation means a wise use of our natural resources. Regulated hunting and angling is a way to reach those conservation goals. From the time that French and English trappers, along with the existing native trappers, started selling fur in Europe until today, trapping has been sustainable and so have hunting and angling.
Hunters, trappers, and anglers are the only users of wildlife and wildlife habitat who reach into their pockets and financially support these activities through the purchase of hunting and angling licences. They also purchase wildlife habitat stamps that provide money for conservation projects.
Hunting and angling are healthy outdoor activities that provide, for most of us, lifelong enjoyment. I personally have been hunting for 46 years. So far this year, I've gone on a moose-hunting trip, I have a week-long deer-hunting trip planned, and I will have a goose-hunting trip to P.E.I. in November. These trips are all paid for with taxable dollars. However, our activities do not require that millions of dollars in infrastructure be spent. We don't need fields. We don't need gymnasiums and rinks. A natural stream or an open bog will do just fine.
In 2004, my federation, along with our sister organizations across Canada, signed a Canadian hunting heritage accord. This accord could apply just as easily to fishing and trapping. The accord, in summary, states that the signatories will ensure that the activity of hunting--and, by extension, angling and trapping--will continue to be ecological, sustainable, safe, lawful, responsible, and true to the hunting heritage of our forefathers.
It also contains 10 articles that support the accord, the tenth one being that “Canada's hunting community will share the rich history and traditions of hunting in all its forms with future generations in a manner that reflects respect for the quarry and the responsibilities of the hunter”. These are not just words but commitments to Canada and to our activities.
Many sports-people, such as me, are mentors to young anglers and hunters. I've been involved with hunting education for 25 years, first as a bow-hunting instructor and then as a hunter education instructor, and I have spent many hours helping new hunters and anglers hone their skills. My federation was responsible for bringing the “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” program to Nova Scotia. It's a program that introduces angling and hunting to women and young girls who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience these skills.
Hunters, trappers, and anglers have a lot to be proud of. In a way, they have helped governments manage our wildlife resources for all of us. To that end, the recognition associated with a national hunting, trapping, and fishing heritage day will go a long way in cementing our position as conservationists, by once a year bringing attention to our activities as a reminder to all levels of government of the service provided to them by us.
Approximately 135,000 Nova Scotians hunt and fish, and many of them do both. The majority of our provincial populations are quite okay with what we're doing as long as we follow the rules and do it in a sustainable manner.
All of us in this room are the descendants of successful hunters and anglers. In some cases they may be from a few generations back, but we would not be here without our forefathers having hunting and fishing skills.
In my written remarks I say that I would like the national day to be September 23, but following the friendly amendment, I'll go along with whatever is agreed upon by everybody else.
Thank you very much.