Hunting and fishing started in Quebec. When the Europeans—the French, that is—arrived, they would not have been able to colonize the lands along the shores of the St. Lawrence without hunting, fishing and trapping. It is part of our history, it is in our genes. Even the indigenous tribes recognized the skills in hunting and fishing for survival displayed by the French, the Europeans, who were arriving in New France at the time.
Today, we owe a great deal to the wildlife on the land and the resources in the water that allowed this country to be colonized. I remind you that Canada's economic development was first made possible by the fur trade and the relationships established as a result with the indigenous people in the country. That trade really marked the birth of Canada. It proves that hunting, fishing and trapping are historically important, and in terms of our relationships with the indigenous people.