Following strong support during public consultations in the fall of 2024, the governments of Canada and Quebec have confirmed their intention to expand the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park (SSLMP) by 3,242 km2. Eventually, the park will cover a total area of almost 4,500 km2, corresponding to 3.6 times its current size.
A Brief History
The protection of the St. Lawrence Estuary beyond the original boundaries of the SSLMP had been under consideration for over 20 years. Initially considered as a marine protection area, the project had stalled for many years.
Then, in 2022, at COP 15, the COP 15 collective - under the leadership of SNAP Québec - proposed resolving this impasse by extending the boundaries of the existing marine park. This request was heard, and in March 2023, the governments of Quebec and Canada announced their intention to go ahead with this proposal. Since then, public consultations have shown strong public support for this solution.
Why Expand the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park?
Established in 1998, the SSLMP is a flagship marine protected area in Quebec.
Its expansion not only extends protection measures for the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga whale population to its entire summer critical habitat (only 40% of which falls within the original boundaries of the marine park), but also enhances conservation measures for all the marine species that inhabit this environment, corresponding to over 2,200 species.
This expansion also provides an opportunity to strengthen the protection of several coastal vegetation habitats, such as sea marshes, macro-algae zones and eelgrass sites. These ecosystems, which are particularly important for adapting to and combating climate change, as well as for filtering contaminants, also act as nurseries for several fish species.
Moreover, enlarging the marine park is an opportunity to involve new regional and local players in the protection and enhancement of this territory. These stakeholders will benefit even more from the environmental, social and economic spin-offs generated by this marine protected area.
Finally, this expansion will enable all marine and coastal ecosystems in this part of the estuary to benefit from appropriate, coherent and effective conservation measures for the well-being of coastal communities and biodiversity. In view of the many disruptions currently affecting the St. Lawrence, it is essential to reduce anthropogenic pressures in this environment, and enlarging the marine protected area that is the Marine Park is a key way of achieving this.
Key Information
In March 2025, the governments of Quebec and Canada announced that the marine park would be expanded by 3,242 km2.
The St. Lawrence beluga is an endangered species, and currently numbers around 1,850 individuals.
The expanded marine park will be bordered by and benefit nearly 40 coastal communities.
Next Steps
The expansion of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park will be formalized through the adoption of ministerial decrees. The Quebec and Canadian governments will then take steps to establish the conservation measures that will apply to the expanded marine park. New public consultations will then be organized to allow the public to express their views on this subject.
In the meantime, SNAP Québec will continue to advocate for effective and rigourous conservation measures within this marine protected area to ensure that it meets conservation standards and can truly benefit biodiversity.
