Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for being here in support of this bill today.
My colleague, Mr. Doherty, briefly touched on this, and I'd like to further the issue a little more. It's about who you choose to stand beside you in announcements or in support of things. I've witnessed this in my former role in a volunteer organization protecting hunters' and anglers' rights, and so on, with signing onto letters of support or in position of one thing. I found out that it only gave credibility to an organization that, on the next move, would be opposing your activities or trying to curtail your activities as a hunter and angler. I would encourage the government members here, as witnesses, to be very careful about who you have stand beside you on things such as the MPAs. We have concerns over the recent Pacific north coast integrated management area, PNCIMA, announcement.
I agree with Ms. Jones' statements that anti-use groups, as you call them, do have some purpose, but be very cautious about giving them credibility by having them stand beside you on issues you think you can agree on. They will only turn around to bite you, you know where, the next time you want to protect hunting, harvesting rights, angling rights, and so on.
The reason I bring this up is that I come from British Columbia, and we've had major opposition against bear hunts in B.C. I'd like to ask the members, Mr. Simms, Ms. Jones, and Mr. Tootoo, if you would be willing to stand beside our B.C. members who might be supporting our bear hunt in B.C. in the same way we are supporting your traditional seal hunt?
