Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the constituents of Saanich—Gulf Islands to present a petition through which constituents in Saanich—Gulf Islands are looking to see the government pursue the promise of protected marine areas. It has been such a long time, as it has been decades, since it was first proposed that there be a protected marine area next to the Gulf Islands National Park. It was so long ago that Jacques Cousteau endorsed the idea.
In any case, there are 11 classifications for marine protected areas, and depending on how they are classified, a different department would oversee the marine protected area. Petitioners are pointing out that, when areas are closed off to fishing, there is a net benefit to fisheries throughout the region. Areas where there is a no-fishing rule allow fisheries to recover and be more plentiful in the areas surrounding the protected area.
The petitioners call on the government and DFO to work with relevant government branches to simplify the communication and ensure that marine protected areas are put in place.