Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think Canadians, whether they live in the Gaspé, the Magdalen Islands, the north shore of P.E.I., or the northeast coast of Newfoundland on the northern peninsula, are looking for leadership from their parliamentarians and assurance that they understand the issue.
The term “beater” is used in the Fisheries Act. It's an actual term in the definitions in the Fisheries Act describing an age cohort. It's used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in our licence regulations.
No, I don't think soft-selling this issue is really what our sealers and our sealing communities want to hear. They want to hear that their parliamentarians understand the industry, understand the issue, are prepared to confront it head-on with fact, are not afraid to use language that's actually used and incorporated into the government's own documentation, the regulations, and the general description of the industry. They're looking to see whether we're prepared to endorse the rhetoric and the sloppy language of the animal activists or whether we're going to stand firm and tall with our sealers and our sealing communities to say this is wrong. These negative campaigns based on misinformation are all about misinformation. If the government itself uses the term “beater”, if fisheries officers use the term “beater”, what's next? Are we going to amend my motion by saying we want to hug baby seals, because baby seals are really what we are trying to protect? Why don't we incorporate “baby seals” into the motion? Exactly. Come on.
This is exactly how the hunt is prosecuted. It's done in a very humane, sustainable, and ethical way. It describes the industry, and having parliamentarians not shy away from that language, having parliamentarians not shy away from that fact, does more good for this industry. And that's exactly what our sealers want to hear: that we are not held captive to the false and misleading language of those who promote that Canada should stop killing baby seals.
I'm not going to put “baby seals” into my motion. I'm not going to take out the other language that is completely appropriate as well, because that's exactly how this industry is conducted. Having 12 parliamentarians stand up and say for the record that this is exactly what we stand for and that what has occurred in the past, what is occurring today, and what will occur in the future is solid, is humane, is ethical, is responsible, is sustainable, that's the way we need to go. If the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans won't even adopt that, well, if the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans and its members slink away from that, put in an amendment that we cuddle baby seals, while you're at it.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.