Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and 100,000 welcomes plus one to our distinguished guests--Your Excellency, and members. I'm delighted to have you here to participate with us in a very profound discussion. I think this actually covers probably more ground than simply seal hunting in Canada. It's actually how we deal with issues.
One of the things we admire most about the European Parliament and your efforts is that you take very difficult issues and you come together in common bond and common cause to actually work through issues on which many of you and your constituencies have differing views and opinions--but the reconciliation of those views are based on sound fact and analysis--and the communication of that sound fact and analysis, in terms of an overall direction for a policy. That is really the job of good, solid politicians, to be able to take constructively and responsibly somewhat difficult issues and to seek out the best and most responsible course of action, and then actually have it translated into policy that's in the best interest of our common gains.
This is one of these issues for one of those reasons. Environmentalism and environmental activism and its approach to how sustainable resources are exploited, whether it's appropriate or inappropriate, I think is going to be a more common thread for the European Parliament, as well as parliaments, whether it be the Canadian Parliament or parliaments throughout western democracies, generally speaking.
I feel very strongly that on the basis of an analysis of the facts, the rhetoric and the innuendo being brought forward by those who have a vested interest in supporting misinformation will be brought down. That information will not stand up to the test of scrutiny. For example, one of the lead proponents of some of the information that's put forward to the European Parliament and to your respective governments is the International Fund for Animal Welfare. They've taken a very, very hard position on the Canadian seal hunt. Reflect very carefully on the name of the organization. It's the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Their key objective is to raise funds.
The question was asked about getting that image off the newspaper. The reason that image is in the newspaper is because the Government of Canada openly supports observers from all of these organizations coming to the hunt and observing for themselves and taking pictures. There is no attempt to disguise what it is we're doing. Unfortunately, it is very strongly misused. The images that have been assembled do not properly represent exactly what is proceeding. In fact, the image that Canadian sealers are still in the process of hunting whitecoats, despite the fact that there has been no whitecoat hunt since 1987, still persists in the lobbying efforts of those who would purport that it exists.
Therefore, if someone were to use misinformation in one instance, they would potentially or probably use misinformation in other instances. It has been reported to you as parliamentarians that we've exceeded the quota by 40%. The facts do not stand up to that point. In fact, often, in many years--most years--the Canadian quota has not been caught because of market conditions or because of ice conditions.
Approximately four years ago, because of the natural biological characteristics of the animal--its fecundity and its sexual maturity--a multi-year quota plan was able to be put in place. In other words, if quota was exceeded in one particular year, it could be taken from another year in a three-year timeframe, so that there would always be sustainable limits to the harvest and it would be conducted responsibly. That's an element that doesn't necessarily hit the pages in tabloids or in respected newspapers, either.