Phase III – 1998-2003 Phase II – 1993-1998 Phase I – 1988-1993

The Health of the St. Lawrence is improving
Global Portrait of the St. Lawrence completed by partners in the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan

Québec City, February 27, 2003 – The St. Lawrence is now in better shape than it was at any time in the second half of the 20th century. This fact emerges from an initial global portrait of the state of and changes in the St. Lawrence River presented today at the Rendez-vous Saint-Laurent forum, jointly organized by the governments of Canada and Québec. This forum brought together about 150 participants, including representatives of the universities, municipalities, industry as well as conservation, community and interest groups.

This portrait forms part of the State of the St. Lawrence Follow-Up Program, which was implemented during the 1998-2003 phase of the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan (SLV 2000). It was created by four of the partners in SLV 2000: Environment Canada, the Québec Ministry of the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec.

In order to assess the state of and changes in the ecosystem, the partners selected 21 environmental indicators relating to the main basic components of the St. Lawrence, namely water, the bed, the banks, biological resources and uses. These indicators are part of the on-going programs for capturing data of the partners in the program. They will make it possible to obtain a long-term picture of the state of and changes in the St. Lawrence.

People living along the banks of the St. Lawrence have been involved in developing this program through Stratégies Saint-Laurent, an organization dedicated to consultation with the communities that also supports the Zones d’intervention prioritaire (ZIP) [priority action area] committees.

The portrait, which focuses primarily on water and biological resources, shows that contamination by toxic substances has declined; that some animal populations have been or are being re-established, including the gannet and the large heron; that marine organisms and freshwater fish are generally fit for human consumption; that the quality of the water in the river is relatively good; and that bacterial contamination at the sites studied between Montreal and the Île d’Orléans is usually within the levels at which people may swim. Furthermore, the portrait confirms that communities of freshwater fish still contain a wide diversity of species and that the St. Lawrence still harbours extensive wetlands providing habitats for the reproduction and feeding behaviours of abundant and diverse wildlife species.

However, a number of challenges have not yet been overcome. Bacterial contamination still restricts some recreational uses of the St. Lawrence such as swimming and shellfish gathering. The contaminants present in the sediments also pose a long-term threat, as do human activities that impact negatively on the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence. These include the exploitation of biological resources and the introduction of exotic species that continue to have consequences for the biodiversity of the River. In addition, the reestablishment of the beluga will require further sustained rehabilitation efforts over the next few years. Consideration must also be given to the impact of recurrence of low water levels in the St. Lawrence, especially for communities of fish and wetlands.

The results for the individual indicators are described in a collection of 16 sheets and the picture that emerges is presented in a brochure entitled Global Portrait of the St. Lawrence. These documents may be consulted on the SLV 2000 Web site at: www.slv2000.qc.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Paul Milot
Section des communications
Environment Canada
St. Lawrence Vision 2000
(418) 649-8070

Raymonde Goupil
Communications
Environment Québec
St. Lawrence Vision 2000
(418 ) 521-3823 ext. 4912

Hélène Bouchard
State of the St. Lawrence Section
Environment Canada
(514) 283-3668

Jacques Dupont
Information on aquatic environment
Environment Québec
(418) 521-3820 ext. 4738

(Également offert en français)

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