Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House to present a petition on behalf of the hard-working bees in Canada.
The petitioners are concerned that the mortality rate for bees has been increasing in the past number of years. They recognize the important role that bees play for flowering plants and the huge contributions they make for our agricultural sector. Therefore, the petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to develop an effective strategy to address the multiple factors related to bee colony deaths, such as the destruction and disturbance of habitat, pesticide use, and the side effects of pathogens and parasites.
As a proud farmer myself who has seen first-hand the incredible work that bees do, and the yields of fruit trees on my farm, I am very honoured to present this petition. I hope the government will take some concrete steps.