Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For many years now the people and the Government of the Northwest Territories have been working hard to counter the European anti-fur lobby. It seems that despite all of our efforts we are unable to get our message through to European people.

Last night and again this morning there was an information item on CBC radio about the new TV advertisement in Spain for chocolate bars. To my dismay, I heard that the ad portrays seal hunters who are going after seal pups, as used to be done in Newfoundland but isn't done any more. Children dressed in the polar bear costumes would come and chase the hunters away before any pups are killed. In celebration, the polar bears will sit down and eat chocolate bars with the seal pups.

Since the animal activists got the European Parliament to ban seal skins, there has been a very serious negative impact on the people and the economy of the eastern Arctic. The once profitable seal harvest provided people with the chance to earn their own living and be proud of the ability to support their families. In the 1970s, a seal pelt was worth upwards of $70. A hunter is lucky today, Mr. Speaker, to get $5 for the same pelt. Without a market for sealskin, there has been an increase in suicides and other social problems, as many former harvesters are unable to make a living and support their families.

It is very frustrating to know that there are many seals, including thousands of Newfoundland seals, that come up to Baffin Island in the summertime and the spring -- which they never used to do -- looking for food. The cod and the fish supply in Newfoundland is way down and as a result the seals are coming up. I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement.