Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today from over 100 individuals from southern Vancouver Island, communities of Victoria, Saanich, Sidney, Chemainus, Duncan, Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo.
The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to look at the issue of the halibut allocation. They are asking for a viable allocation framework that would provide stable and predictable year-round opportunities for anglers and sustainable economic benefits for those who are employed in the public fisheries and for the coastal communities in which they live.
They are asking to include compensation for the transfer of fishing quotas to the public.
This is an issue that the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore has spoken on. We have asked for a fishery summit on this issue and others in British Columbia.
It is very clear, from the minds of these petitioners, that this is an issue the government must deal with. As a result of that, they are asking the House of Commons and the Minister of Fisheries to deal with the issue and, we suggest, through a fishery summit in the west coast.