Anticosti, November 24, 2023. - The Anticosti Island area, recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Mingan Archipelago overflow with natural treasures representative of Quebec's rich natural heritage, one of which is the St. Lawrence River. That is the reason why the governments of Canada and Quebec are announcing their joint intent to establish a new joint marine park in Quebec to protect this natural gem.
This was announced today by Mr. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of the Environment and Climatic Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada and Mr. Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Laurentides Region. The area considered, on a preliminary basis, is the marine area located between Anticosti Island and the federal Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, which could result in a significant conservation gain with respect to the protected marine surface area by 2030.
This announcement is the first step towards the creation of a possible Anticosti-Mingan marine park. The governments of Canada and Quebec will jointly meet, over the coming months, with all the stakeholders concerned by the project, including First Nations, regional and municipal organizations, research groups and local businesses, in order to collect their views and comments. They wish, amongst other things, to discuss and evaluate the environmental, social, ecotourism and economic benefits that could result from the creation of this park, as well as the management methods best suited to the particular reality of the environment.
Public consultations are also planned in the years to come, depending on the progress of the work begun today. They may, amongst other things, focus on the precise demarcation of the territory to be protected and the possible conservation measures to protect the marine environment, while maintaining the quality of life of local communities and ensuring that they uphold the regional socio-economic vitality.
This initiative is in line with the commitment made by the two governments to achieve the targets arising from the Convention on Biological Diversity, including the objective of conserving 30% of land and sea territory by 2030. It is part of the continuity of previous partnerships between the governments of Canada and Quebec in terms of biodiversity conservation, including the project to expand the Saguenay-St. Lawrence marine park announced in March 2023. The two governments recognize that protecting such a precious environment will require a strong cooperation, a close collaboration and consultations with all the stakeholders involved.
