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News release
The Health of the St. Lawrence River Has Improved Considerably Over the Last Twenty Years
Montréal, June 6, 1996 – The St. Lawrence River is well on the way to recovery. That is the conclusion of the State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence released today by the Minister of the Environment, Sergio Marchi.
The three-volume report, which was published in collaboration with Editions MultiMondes, is a compilation of thousands of bits of scientific data. Using this information, researchers were able to assess the 14 major indicators necessary to accurately diagnose the condition of the ecosystem and to clearly indicate the follow-up required to continue the work of the St. Lawrence Action Plan. This is the most significant study of the St. Lawrence ecosystem to be published in the last 20 years.
" Taking care of the environment is not the responsibility of a single group or organization. This study is a fine illustration of the kind of team work and co-operation necessary to complete environmental projects , " said Minister Marchi. " The health of the St. Lawrence has improved over the past twenty years due, to a large extent, to a joint effort of co-operation between the federal and provincial governments, the support of our many partners and the encouragement of concerned citizens. "
The State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence shows a general improvement in water quality, urban and industrial sewage treatment, sediments, and the preservation of habitats and threatened species. Modifications of the river bed and the hydrodynamics of the St. Lawrence have also been reduced. As well, the report shows a stabilization of the quality of the water in tributaries flowing in the St. Lawrence, the risks to the waterways caused by marine transport, the contamination of sports fishing species and the number of species taken by sports fishermen.
Commercial fishing has deteriorated, however, as a result of the collapse of certain fish stocks. The evaluation of the biodiversity of the waterway system, the levels of contamination and the abundance of biological resources, as well as changes to the river shores are not conclusive. Although the study shows that there has been an increase in recreation and tourism, the researchers did not measure other indicators of the accessibility of the river.
The State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence is part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, a federal-provincial program designed to combine the efforts of both levels of government to restore, protect and preserve this historic waterway. This is a five-year program which was set up in 1988 and renewed in 1993, under a new name, St. Lawrence Vision 2000. The program commits the Canadian and Québec governments to continue to jointly produce and distribute more reports on the environmental conditions of the St. Lawrence. A number of governmental, university and private sector partnerships have been created for the production of these evaluation tools.
For further information, please contact:
Roger White
Office of the Minister of Environment
(819) 997-1441
Alain Gaudreau
Centre Saint-Laurent
(514) 496-1570
Également offert en français
Date modified: 1996/06/06 – Important Notices
