Habitat and biodiversity protection are absolutely essential to the foundation of wildlife diversity in this country, particularly habitat conservation. Healthy habitats across the full range of ecosystems contribute to wildlife diversity and for those species that trappers harvest and hunters hunt contribute to the abundance of of populations that are harvestable and usable.
In the hunting community and the trapping community we all pay our taxes. Those taxes contribute to wildlife conservation management programs across this country.
In addition, other examples would include the donations to many organizations—volunteer donations and time—to groups like the Fur Institute of Canada, to Ducks Unlimited, and to Delta Waterfowl Foundation. In cases of waterfowl harvesting, as the committee I'm sure is aware, the waterfowl hunting permit requires the acquisition of a wildlife habitat stamp that is administered as a separate fund through Wildlife Habitat Canada. These are all part and parcel of the ongoing contribution of the hunting and fishing sector to the management of the resource. Included in the management of the resource are efforts in place to ensure that the quality of habitat and biodiversity are protected.