Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is in regard to the fur industry and the importance of it, especially in my riding. The fur industry has built this country to what it is today and we have seen the history of the fur industry as bright. However, we have to realize the importance of the fur industry to our small aboriginal communities, and improving and enhancing that industry like we are improving and enhancing the oil and gas industry or the diamond industry. We are giving loan guarantees in the range of $9.2 million to certain industries to enhance their ability to market the different trades.
We have to do just as well in the fur industry when we talk about enhancing the fur markets, making the fur products, and also enhancing the ability of the trappers themselves to be able to continue to carry out this activity.
Everyone knows that there has been a major impact on the fur industry in regard to the European boycott and the efforts by this government to impose the leg-hold trap on the trapping industry which, to date, is one of the biggest factors for a trapper to continue with traditional trapping methods which are no longer there. Also, the high cost of fuels, gas, transportation and food for people to continue that practice.
We hear a lot of things on the radio lately about the trapping industry and how we can enhance it. We can enhance it as we have in this government where we heard yesterday from the Minister responsible for Education. He has found $12 million to do a study in regard to non-renewable resources. Yet we are seeing dwindling resources in the resource-based economy to assist trappers to go out and harvest their furs. Also, the ability for them to purchase traps to go out and carry out that activity is no longer there.
I think it is essential that this government implement a similar program that we have in regard to other industry, enhancing those industries. However, this government also has to spend the money resources on the trapping industry as we are in other sectors.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development questions on this matter later. Thank you.