Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks my riding and others across Canada have been contacted by very concerned Canadians about the seal hunt. There are a couple of comments I would like to put on record because I know there has been a lot of misinformation about the seal hunt.
There has been a televised advertising campaign put on by Canadians Against the Commercial Seal Hunt. It has launched an advertising campaign against Canadian sealers loaded with inaccurate and misleading allegations.
CATCSH alleges that Canadians are subsidizing an industry that kills baby seals. That is absolutely false.
CATCSH alleges that the seal harvest provides few economic benefits. That is also false.
CATCSH alleges that Canadians paid $3.4 million in subsidies and administrative costs in 1996 for a seal harvest that is uneconomic. That is absolutely false.
Contrary to the impression conveyed by this organization and other anti-sealing zealots, the commercial harvesting of seals in Canada is more tightly regulated now than at any other time in our history.