North of the Gulf of St. Lawrence

The Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence project consists of a network of 10 sites located around Anticosti Island and in the Laurentian Channel, totaling 8,148 km². They boast the highest concentrations of cold-water corals and sea sponges in the region, which is why they were designated as marine refuges by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2017.

The governments of Quebec and Canada are now collaborating towards the establishment of marine protected areas on these sites to consolidate the protection of these sites over the long term. A step in this direction was taken with the designation of Territory Reserves for Protected Areas (RTFAP) by the Quebec government in December 2020, but there are still steps to be taken to broaden the scope of protection measures for these important ecosystems and establish effective collaborative management.

Why protect the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence?

To protect corals and sponges, marine refuge status prohibits fishing with bottom-touching gear. Corals and sponges are highly vulnerable to disturbance and can take decades to recover. However, since these animals are sedentary, and thanks to their particular feather-like or tree-like structure, they play an essential role for many other species such as cod or wolffish as a feeding ground, nursery or refuge.

The shallower, plankton-rich waters are also visited by many seabirds, cetaceans (fin whale, humpback and blue whales, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises), and fish such as mackerel and herring. The establishment of marine protected areas on these exceptional sites would consolidate the protection of these ecosystems in their entirety, making it possible to regulate shipping, for example, and prohibit in perpetuity other harmful activities such as oil and gas pipeline construction and electricity generation.

Key Information

Monitoring carried out in recent years has documented the great ecological richness of these sites, which are home to a multitude of little-known species such as 5 species of sea pens (a type of soft coral) and 45 species of sea sponges.

Several status species visit these areas, including sea wolves, fin whales and blue whales.

Joint Marine Protected Area (DFO) and Marine Reserve (MELCCFP) status would consolidate the long-term protection of these areas by broadening the spectrum of conservation measures put in place to protect these ecosystems in their entirety.

SNAP Québec's work in northern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Despite the announcement by the governments of Quebec and Canada in June 2019 of their joint intention to create marine protected areas on these sites, and the many presentations that followed to stakeholders, the completion of this project has stagnated for nearly 3 years.

The completion marine protected area network in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence could pave the way for a fruitful collaboration between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, a collaboration that is essential to the establishment of a network of effective marine protected areas covering at least 30% of the St. Lawrence.

SNAP Quebec therefore continues to mobilize the various players involved and to communicate the importance of making progress on this project, which will have benefits for the whole of the St. Lawrence.