OTTAWA– Liberal Fisheries and Oceans critic Lawrence MacAulay made the following statement today on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s trip to China this week:
“I truly hope the Prime Minister is able to reverse the six years of damage done to Canada’s seal hunt by this Conservative government. Opening Chinese markets is crucial for our sealing industry, especially in light of the Conservative government’s ineffectiveness in protecting and promoting the industry on the international stage. The European Union and Russia have already banned our products, leading to a significant decrease in the number of seals being caught and the amount of income available to our sealers.
The Conservatives claim to be supportive of the sealing industry but in reality it is all just empty rhetoric. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Chinese market access for our sealers over one year ago, but not one transaction has taken place.
While seal populations continue to explode, the number of seals being caught continues to drop because of this government’s inability to open up markets for Canadian seal products. The Conservative government seems perfectly happy to just let this vital industry and traditional way of life die.”
