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Conservatives are "natural conservationists," Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated Wednesday. Photograph by: The Canadian Press, National Post |
Harper announces hunting-fishing advisory panel
By Jason Fekete
Vancouver Sun
Postmedia News
May 30, 2012
OTTAWA — Facing accusations that his government is weakening fish and habitat protection, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Wednesday the establishment of a hunting and angling advisory panel that will report to the environment minister and help craft government policy.
Speaking in Ottawa at the first National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Congress, Harper defended his government's policies as being focused both on promoting economic growth and protecting the environment.
The event was organized in part by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, a group that has lobbied the government, including Fisheries and Oceans Minister Keith Ashfield, multiple times over the past year on issues such as the amendments to the Fisheries Act, invasive species and game farms.
Harper used his speech to announce the creation of the government's Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel, a promise included in the Conservatives' federal election platform.
The panel will be composed of provincial and territorial representatives from hunting and angling associations. It will report directly to the federal environment minister and help ensure the government's decisions "are based on sound science and balanced advice," he said.
