Environment committee  Sure.

Environment committee  Thank you, and I'll try to abide by that. I timed it at ten and a half minutes, and when I turn up my Newfoundlandspeak, it'll probably be eight and a half. Thank you, Madam Chair, and members of the committee, for the invitation to contribute to your study on protected areas and conservation objectives, including the potential for indigenous conservation initiatives.

Environment committee  It's two paragraphs.

Environment committee  Thank you. Generally speaking, the 20th century approach to protected area creation has not provided an essential role to the indigenous people who are most intimately acquainted with many of these places. In traditional models, the general Canadian public has been the main audience, and programs are geared at educating and engaging visitors.

Environment committee  Absolutely. We would certainly agree and support that type of recommendation. It seems preposterous that it takes 30 or 40 years. In the case of Lancaster Sound, there's been a 40-year discussion in trying to get a park established, but it would be less than 40 months, probably, if an oil company wanted to come in today and do something in that same area by going through the regulatory hoops and whatnot.

Environment committee  I'd agree. I want to observe very generally on this point that after 40 or 50 years, maybe it's time to sit back and reflect on our whole approach in the Arctic as it relates to resource development. We're not anti-resource development, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Environment committee  No, I didn't say resource development; I said mineral development. I don't remember the exact words now, but I said mineral development, seabed mining, seismic testing, and industrial-scale fishing. We do believe that in the core key habitat areas of the Canadian Arctic—and for that matter, anywhere—if there is a core area that is absolutely essential to the ongoing ecological and biological productivity of the ecosystem, these things cannot happen there.

Environment committee  I'll reiterate another point to clarify here, just so the member understands. To be clear, Oceans North does not represent Inuit, nor do we speak on their behalf. We are advocating what we believe should be the principles governing and guiding this process. We are advocating that the federal government, in conjunction with Inuit, establish these areas.

Environment committee  I think they're settled, but anyway, carry on.

Environment committee  To varying degrees, yes. In some areas, they have total control, and in some areas they have advisory roles.

Environment committee  Yes.

Environment committee  If the Inuit decide there is an area they want protected that is of critical importance to their culture and to the ecology of the surrounding area, and they believe there is something wrong, that's a discussion they will have to have with the federal government. Having said that, I am not aware of any area where this is an issue.

Environment committee  I think there is broad support for protection in protected areas at the community level. I think the closer you get to the people who live off the land and off the sea, the greater the commitment to conservation, sustainable use, and protection. I jokingly say we're affiliated with Ducks Unlimited; it's a great conservation organization.

Environment committee  Yes, sure. As I said in my remarks, I think this really needs to be driven by Inuit. It needs to be managed by Inuit. I wasn't aware that you had been to Haida Gwaii. Recently I was there as well, with some people from northern Labrador, from Nunatsiavut. For those who don't know, the Torngat Mountains National Park was part of the land claims settlement in Labrador.

Environment committee  It started off as the Haida saying that they were going to protect this area. Captain Gold, on his own, essentially—