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State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program Committee

The official establishment of the Ecosystem Monitoring Committee dates back to 2003. This does not mean that monitoring did not take place before then. At the beginning of Phase I (1988-1993) of the St. Lawrence Plan (SLP), the St. Lawrence Centre was established among other things to assess and prepare a report on the contamination of the river, and produce tools for the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

One of the first commitments of the SLP was to be the production and distribution of the State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence River, a compilation of thousands of bits of scientific data used to assess the 14 major indications necessary for an accurate diagnosis of the river's state of health. Distributed in June 1996, this compendium of knowledge about the St. Lawrence ecosystem was the most significant work on the subject published in the last 20 years. http://www.slv2000.qc.ca/communiques/phase2/sante_stlaurent_a.htm

On May 20, 1999, at the beginning of Phase III, the government partners in the St. Lawrence Action Plan Vision 2000 announced the publication of "Issue" fact sheets in the State of the St. Lawrence River series. These fact sheets identify the main pressures exerted upon the St. Lawrence River, and propose courses of action. Each fact sheet discusses existing measures in response to the disturbance identified, and possible ways of ensuring the protection of the river and maintaining its uses and resources, in ways consistent with sustainable development.
http://www.slv2000.qc.ca/communiques/phase3/enjeu_accueil_a.htm

It was during Phase III of the SLP (1998 to 2003) that four government partners – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment Canada (EC), the Ministère de l’Environnement du Québec (MENV) and the Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec (FAPAQ) – decided to pool their expertise and their efforts to establish the current program to monitor the state of the St. Lawrence.

The purpose of the program is to ensure long-term monitoring of changes in the state of the river. To that end, 23 environmental indicators will be developed on the basis of data collected during the environmental monitoring activities each organization carries out over the years. These activities relate to the four main components of the environment: water (quality and quantity), riverbed, biological resources (diversity and condition of the species), uses and eventually the shoreline.

A coordinating committee was established to execute the new program during Phase IV of the SLP (2005-2010).

Mandate

The Ecosystem Monitoring Committee’s mandate is to monitor changes in the state of the St. Lawrence and report to the public at regular intervals, in particular by holding a biennial forum known as the St. Lawrence Rendezvous.

The Committee also plans to hold workshops on new issues and provide a forum for partners and riverside communities anxious to contribute to the monitoring of the state of the river.

Composition

The federal and provincial departments involved in ecosystem monitoring activities are:

Canada
Québec
  • Environment Canada
  • Canadian Space Agency
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Parks Canada
  • Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs
  • Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune

Stratégies Saint-Laurent is the public agency represented on the Ecosystem Monitoring Committee.

Expected results

During Phase IV of the SLP, the Ecosystem Monitoring Committee is to achieve the following results:

  • Assessment of the status of the St. Lawrence and changes over time in the study area, and in relation to the Great Lakes, on the basis of scientific data generated by the program to monitor the state of the St. Lawrence;
  • Regularly informing riverside communities and decision-makers of the state of health of the St. Lawrence, and changes in it over time, using appropriate media to make the information accessible.

Overview of the Committee’s work

  • Broad issues on the state of the St. Lawrence -
    Progress report and future outlook for improving environmental monitoring. Summary of proceedings (February 2007)

Projects and products resulting from the work of the State of the St. Lawrence Follow-up Program Coordinating Committee

  • Sénéchal, J., 2005. Shellfish Water Quality, 2nd edition. Environment Canada, St. Lawrence Plan, 6 p. (Fact sheet – State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 2005-2010 - SLP)
  • Bouchard, H., J. Dupont, 2003. Monitoring the State of the St. Lawrence - A Decisive First Step. St. Lawrence Centre, Environment Canada, Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec in the newsletter Le Fleuve, Vol. 13, No. 6 – February 2003, pp. 1-3. (Article - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Villeneuve, S., J. Painchaud, 2003. Overview of the State of the St. Lawrence River. Environmental Conservation Branch, Environment Canada, Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec, Environmental Monitoring Branch, 18 p. (Volume - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Berryman, D., F. Houde, C. DeBlois, 2003. Suivi des nonylphénols éthoxylés dans l'eau brute et l'eau traitée de onze stations de traitement d'eau potable au Québec [determination of nonylphenol ethoxylates in raw and treated water at eleven potable water treatment stations in Quebec]. Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec, St.  Lawrence Vision 2000, ix + 32 p. (Report - State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Therriault, J.-C., N. Paille, 2002.  Oceanographic Processes in the Estuary and Gulf. Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 8 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Sénéchal, J., 2002.  Shellfish Water Quality. Environmental Protection Branch, Environment Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Jean, M., G. Létourneau, C. Lavoie, F. Delisle, 2002. Freshwater Wetlands and Exotic Plant Species. Environmental Conservation Branch, Environment Canada, Laval University, Planning and Development Research Centre, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 8 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • La Violette, N., 2002. Freshwater Fish Communities. Wildlife Research Branch, Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Painchaud, J., D. Laliberté, 2002. Toxic Contamination in Freshwater Fish. Environmental Monitoring Branch, Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Lebeuf, M., M. Noël, Y. Clermont, 2002. Toxic contamination of Marine Resources. Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Gosselin, J.-F., L. Measures, 2002. Beluga Whale Population of the Estuary. Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Chapdelaine, G., 2002. Northern Gannet – A Sentinel Species for the Gulf. Environmental Conservation Branch, Environment Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 4 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Hébert, S., 2002.  Safety of Potential Freshwater Swimming Sites. State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Branch, Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 4 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)
  • Chapdelaine, G., 2002.  Seabirds – Sentinel species of the Gulf. Environmental Conservation Branch, Environment Canada, St. Lawrence Vision 2000, 6 p. (Fact Sheet - Biodiversity, State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program - 1998-2003 - SLV 2000)

To learn more

By entering State of the St. Lawrence in the Components field at the St. Lawrence Plan search site, you can learn more about work done in this area in Phase IV of the SLP; you will also find the results of the State of the St. Lawrence monitoring program, and publications generated in the earlier phases of the ecosystem monitoring process.

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Date modified: 2008/04/30 – Important Notices