Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present several petitions on behalf of bees.
The petitioners recognize that the mortality rate for colonies of bees and other pollinators has been rising for the past three years; that insects, primarily bees, play a role in the pollination of nearly 70% of flowering plants; and that these insects contribute more than $2.2 billion to Canada's agricultural economy each year.
The petitioners are calling upon the House of Commons to take concrete steps to solve the problem of the high mortality rate among bees and other pollinators and to develop a strategy that addresses the factors that are related to bee colony deaths and the destruction and disturbance of habitat.
As a small-scale farmer myself, I am very happy to rise and present this petition.