Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think the intent of the statement was to indicate that the European regulation 3254 has gone much further than what it was expected to do, in that it was aspiring to answer to the wishes of those who wished to see the harvesting of fur bearing animals come to a complete stop. We, as a government, do not wish to see that because the majority of our people in the Northwest Territories make their living on fur bearing animals.

The intent of the European regulation, as it stands at the present time, will eliminate much of the harvesting that does take place in the Northwest Territories, in that the regulation requires that humane trapping standards be used. At the present time, the leghold traps that are being used by trappers is something that we, as a department, have been researching and would like to see improved. There are humane methods of trapping animals in the Northwest Territories.

The intent of the statement was to indicate that we would like to see the regulation of the European parliament put in the position where we, as a government or a people, who harvest fur bearing animals would be able to accommodate it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was one of the delegation who went to Europe last May to meet with some of the European governments, along with the Honourable Minister. We were in Europe at the same time, but in different places. We met with a lot of European countries and I think it was a very worthwhile trip.

To do what the Minister is indicating requires that people, like Members from the north, should be meeting with European governments to try to get them to change the intent of their regulations. I would like to ask the Minister if the intent of his statement is that Members of this House should meet directly with European governments again. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, it is the intent of the government to form another delegation to go to Europe to follow up on the visit of last year. It is to impress upon the European commonwealth the unreasonable request being made by the Parliament in enforcing this regulation before the International Standards Organization has completed their work in defining what would be considered humane trapping. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.