Quebec and Ottawa to expand Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

A beluga whale shows its tail in the St.Lawrence River near Tadoussac Que., Monday, July 24, 2006. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec and Ottawa intend to expand the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park to better protect the biodiversity and ecosystems of the St. Lawrence Estuary, home to nearly 2,200 species.

The expansion project could quadruple the size of the park, which currently covers 1,245 square kilometres, according to an announcement by Canada's Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and his Quebec counterpart Benoit Charette on Friday morning in Tadoussac.

The main objective of the eventual expansion is to protect the critical habitat of the St. Lawrence beluga, which is in a precarious situation.

More than 60 per cent of its habitat is currently located outside the marine park's boundaries. The two governments intend to protect all its known habitat within a few years.

Protecting the beluga's habitat also protects the ecosystems of the St. Lawrence Estuary, home to nearly 2200 species.

The beluga and the harbour seal reside in the park year-round, but other mammals such as the grey seal, harp seal, harbour porpoise, minke whale, fin whale, blue whale and humpback whale frequent the park regularly.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 10, 2023