Of course, we have to defend the various animal species and care for the animal world, but on the basis of scientific data. As I said earlier, I have been working for several years on forestry issues, and my impression is that there has not been enough scientific research done on the woodland caribou.
Before making decisions that could have repercussions on tens of thousands of jobs in all regions of Canada including the north of Ontario and northern Quebec, we need to do research and acquire more knowledge. Of course, we have to protect animal species like the woodland caribou, but this has to be based on scientific data rather than on simple perceptions. In my opinion, and according to the Quebec forest industry and our council, we do not have enough knowledge. We have to encourage the public servants at Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada to do more research and gather more data. If need be, we can make some science-based decisions in the future.