Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure today that I rise to present the following petition on behalf of my constituents, particularly the citizens who live along the Hants Shore in my riding, along the shore of the Minas Basin. The petition reads:
We, the undersigned residents of Canada, residing on or about Highway 215 East in Hant's Co. Nova Scotia, draw the attention of the house to the following:
The clam beds in this area were allowed to be depleted by diggers outside the area.
The clam worms are being allowed to be depleted by diggers from outside the area.
The diggers from two different areas are fighting over who the worms belong to.
Violence has erupted from the conflict, including a hospitalization on August 28, 2001.
The petition continues:
We the undersigned protest the commercial harvesting of the clam (blood) worms. The clams are gone, soon the worms will be gone, and with them the fish will be gone since they no longer have food, resulting in a collapsed fishery in this area.
The Hants Shore, along the coast of the Minas Basin, is a very unique ecosystem. With the highest tides in the world, it is a very precious ecosystem. I urge the House to consider very strongly protection of this ecosystem because we do not want another cod--