Mr. Speaker, it gives me pleasure to table, pursuant to Standing Order 36, a petition from my constituents in Queensport, Guysborough County, Isaacs Harbour, Boylston, Erinville, Sunnyville and many communities who are expressing concern yet again about the fishery.
Their names join the rolls of hundreds if not thousands of constituents who are calling on the government to address the crisis in the fishery, in particular with respect to what has happened in Canso, Nova Scotia with the refusal of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to grant access to the resource as he has done in communities throughout Atlantic Canada.
The people of Canso fully want to be participants in the economy. They want to have an opportunity to work, stay and live in their communities. The need is there. There is a larger crisis looming with respect to the failure of NAFTA and Canada's failure to preserve our offshore fishing rights.
I hope the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans will take the concerns seriously and address them in the very near future.