Mr. Speaker, for three years now in order to protect salmon stocks in the Fraser River there has been a moratorium on gravel extraction from the river. Gravel operators have been put out of business or forced to search for alternate gravel supplies.
At this moment, however, the Cheam Indian Band has started to remove 100,000 cubic metres of gravel from the river and DFO officials seem powerless to stop it. Gravel operators and biologists would like to know why there is one set of rules for the Indian band and another set of more stringent rules for everyone else. I wonder if someone could explain that for the people of my riding.