Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a Member's statement today on the announcement made yesterday by Mr. Picco, the press announcement on the sealing industry. Before I make any remarks about the announcement itself, I would like to spend a couple of minutes to speak on how important the sealing industry was and still is to my people the Inuit, not only economically but culturally. Also, it is an important source of meat in our diet. Seal pelts in the past, in the 50's, 60's and 70's were the bread and butter so to speak for the Inuit, Mr. Speaker.
Hunters and their families as I recall, were prosperous, relatively rich and we could afford the things in life in the 1970's. Sealing for most of the Nunavut coastal communities was important. It had this type of good economic effect for everyone. Comparable in importance to fishing in Newfoundland or maybe more. Our young Inuit men or boys' abilities were measured in such ways as when you got your first seal. It was the same for women or young girls on how well they could work on seal pelts. It was that important, Mr. Speaker.
Sealing and by-products, are part of the physique of the Inuit. I believe it is that important. This industry which fed us, made us rich, helped us to be able to achieve the good material things in life, which gave our people, both men and women a sense of purpose and means of prosperity was taken away very abruptly, Mr. Speaker. The market was killed, the rug was pulled from under us. Many families, including mine were left with trying to deal with a way of life that was gone.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.