A new marine park will be created near Quebec
It will be organized at a site recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The provinces of Ottawa and Quebec have announced their intention to protect waters near a scenic area in the Gulf of St. Lawrence that was recently included in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Federal Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeau and his counterpart from the Laurentides region, Benoit Charette, have announced that they will initiate the creation of a protected marine park off the island of Anticosti. The area, which stretches north from the island to the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, is home to marine mammals — including endangered ones.
"Having visited Anticosti Island and admired its natural jewels with my own eyes, I am delighted to announce that the Government of Canada commits to collaborating with the Government of Quebec and the indigenous communities concerned, to establish a new marine park. Our objective is to protect the vast and diverse marine ecosystems that link the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve to Anticosti Island," commented Guilbeau.
Anticosti means "place where bears are hunted" in one of the indigenous languages. It is the largest island in the province of Quebec (and the 20th in all of Canada), and it preserves traces of the first mass extinction of animal life 447-437 million years ago. The marine area off its shores is rich in algal forests and phytoplankton. It is also home to colonies of seabirds and sponges, as well as rare and endangered species including the North Atlantic smooth whale, American eel, Atlantic wolffish and cod.
A series of meetings of officials and other stakeholders are planned over the coming months. They plan to discuss and evaluate the environmental, social, ecotourism and economic benefits that may result from the creation of this park, as well as management practices that best fit the realities of the environment.
The marine park model is already well established in Saguenay-Saint-Laurent. This national marine park covers an area of 1,245 square kilometers and for more than 25 years has been an example of conservation by various local, regional, national and indigenous stakeholders.
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