St. Lawrence Conservation

Central to the lives of Quebecers, the St. Lawrence is currently facing a multitude of threats and issues, as are most of the planet's marine environments:

• wastewater discharges in coastal and marine environments,
• deterioration of the seabed by bottom-trawling and dredging activities,
• increase in maritime traffic and its impacts (such as noise pollution and the risk of collisions with certain marine species),
• shoreline erosion,
• ghost fishing gear,
• plastic pollution,
• warming of waters and reduction in oxygen levels,
• invasive species, etc.

The St. Lawrence is also not immune to other potential threats, such as mining exploration and exploitation, or offshore energy production (such as wind or tidal power).

To meet these challenges and improve the resilience of this vast ecosystem, SNAP Québec supports the expansion of a network of interconnected and effective marine protected and conserved areas in the St. Lawrence, in conjunction with a number of local and regional stakeholders.

Indeed, marine protected and conserved areas enable us to better control, and even prohibit, if necessary, a host of activities that can affect the quality of marine environments and the biodiversity that depends on them. They also enable us to perpetuate the benefits offered by these essential natural environments, for the benefit of Quebec communities.

To find out more about the benefits of marine protected areas, read our informative brochure: Understanding marine protected areas.

Simultaneously, SNAP Québec is encouraging reflection on the possibility of implementing a quota system for shipping traffic in the St. Lawrence. This would help reduce the risks posed by navigation, such as bank erosion caused by wave action, collisions with marine mammals and their disturbance by noise, the arrival of invasive species, and so on.