Protection of the Moisie River
Posted on June 8, 2005
CPAWS welcomes the creation of this new large protected area and recommends that the protection be extended to the entire watershed.
Montreal - At the public consultations which resume today in Sept-îles, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) will recommend that the entire watershed of the Moisie River be included in this protected area in order to insure better ecological integrity of the site and increased protection of salmon and woodland caribou habitats.
On February 8, 2003, the government of Quebec announced the protection of 3 898 km2 of land along the Moisie River, representing one fifth of the complete watershed and aimed at conserving the aquatic environment and biodiversity. The Moisie River aquatic reserve, established under the Natural Heritage Conservation Act, prohibits industrial activities such as forestry, mining, and hydroelectric development while maintaining access for other stakeholders such as fishermen and canoers.
CPAWS welcomes the creation of this large protected area on the Moisie River and hopes that the aquatic reserve will quickly obtain permanent status. CPAWS, however, questions the choice of boundaries for the protected area, particularly the exclusion of certain areas of interest for conservation, before the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) mandated for the consultation of this project. In its recommendations, CPAWS suggests enlarging the protection to cover the entire watershed.
"With the sharp decline of salmon spawning runs on the Moisie River, it seems essential to us that the major tributaries of the Moisie River be protected for the spawning of this species, notably the Ouapetec River considered to be the spawning ground of the salmon" declares Jean-François Gagnon, director of the Quebec section of CPAWS. "Moreover, including the Ouapetec watershed will protect important habitats for the woodland caribou, a species sensitive to human activities and which was recently designated vulnerable by the Quebec government," adds Mr. Gagnon.
CPAWS hopes to promptly obtain an enlargement of the Moisie River aquatic reserve, as well as permanent protection status for it. To date, none of the sites targeted for protection by the Quebec Protected Areas Strategy (QPAS) have obtained permanent status, and this, even though eighteen months have passed since the public consultations of the first sites. "This slow pace worries us and substantial efforts should be deployed in the upcoming months to consult the population according to the timeline stipulated by the law," underlines Mr. Gagnon.
-30-
Source:
Jean-François Gagnon, General Director
CPAWS-Montreal
514-278-7627
Post a comment | Ajouter un commentaire
Comments won't appear on the site immediately. Thanks for your patience!
Subscribe