Priority issues
Projects that respond to priority issues
The governments of Canada and Quebec have been working together since 1988 to ensure the conservation and enhancement of the St. Lawrence. These efforts continue under the St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011–2026, for which the governments have identified three priority issues:
The actions undertaken by 18 government departments and agencies will focus on the conservation of biodiversity, sustainability of use and improvement of water quality. Many projects will be implemented from 2011 to 2016 to achieve concrete results that effectively address these issues.
Improved water quality
Reduce agricultural sources of nonpoint source pollution
- Reduce suspended solids and nonpoint source pollution in the Richelieu River watershed
- Develop agricultural watercourses in the Lac Saint-Pierre flood plain
- Continue the activities of the Agricultural Coordination Committee
- Document riverine inputs of organic carbon and nutrients into the estuary
- Improve knowledge about pathogenic organisms from agricultural sources found in tributaries of Lac Saint-Pierre
- Develop biomarkers or bioindicators for harmful and toxic algae
Improve management tools for contaminated sediment
- Assess the ecotoxicological risk and health risk of sites with contaminated sediment as part of restoration projects
- Develop tools for assessing sediment toxicity in the brackish waters of the St. Lawrence
- Identify the key environmental issues related to the presence of contaminated sediment
- Establish a decision-making framework for assessing the presence and environmental impact of contaminated sediment
Assess the presence of toxic substances and their effects on the ecosystem
- Document the presence of pharmaceutical products in municipal effluents in the Montréal region and assess their effects on aquatic fauna
- Document the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the St. Lawrence and selected tributaries
- Assess the risks for the environment and human health of municipal effluents in the Québec City region
- Finalize tools for environmental prediction and state of the St. Lawrence monitoring and apply them to mapping the water quality of Lac Saint-Pierre
- Assess sediment dynamics and contamination levels in the wetlands of Lac Saint-Pierre
- Assess the ecotoxicolgical risk associated with the presence of the round goby in terms of the impact of invasive species on the trophic transfer of contaminants
- Form a knowledge exchange group on substances of emerging concern
Sustainable use
Promote sustainable management of fishery resources
- Maintain an inventory of and share information derived from databases on fishery resources
- Pool expertise in fishery resources management
- Establish a network for sharing information on fishery resources management
Identify and promote public access points
Maintain and promote sustainable navigation
- Create and participate actively in forums for consensus-building in relation to navigation
- Maintain the navigation and dredging coordination committees as part of integrated management of the St. Lawrence
- Develop an information guide on maritime transport
- Broaden the scope of the Dredging Activity Planning Registry
- Proceed with study of the use of the shipping channel by fish
- Continue monitoring vessel speeds in the voluntary speed reduction zones to prevent bank erosion caused by wakes
Promote sustainable management of water levels and flows
- Study the impact of climate change on water flows
- Integrate land observation technologies into emergency preparedness activities relating to water levels
- Establish a climate changes coordination committee
Biodiversity conservation
Identify, protect, restore and enhance areas of ecological interest
- Develop and share unified habitat mapping
- Create a portrait of protected areas and other conservation measures
- Identify habitats that are important to fish and protect them or restore their connections
- Develop an integrated plan for "priority conservation areas"
- Implement a biodiversity monitoring program in and around protected areas
- Proceed with 3 marine protected area (MPA) initiatives
- Participate in the creation of a model-intervention showcase for conservation in the agricultural setting
Prevent the introduction and control the spread of invasive exotic species
- Evaluate the effects of invasive exotic fish on freshwater mussels indigenous to the St. Lawrence
- Coordinate initiatives relating to invasive exotic species and priority vectors of introduction
- Develop shared information and awareness tools about invasive exotic species
- Harmonize detection and monitoring programs and activities relating to invasive exotic species
- Develop joint action and response plans in the event of detection of invasive exotic species
- Harmonize databases on invasive exotic species
- Develop an invasive exotic species component at the St. Lawrence Global Observatory