The Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park was created in 1998 to protect and present the marine environment of a section of the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord. It is today the only marine conservation area in Quebec and one of the first in Canada.
The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park covers a large portion of the St. Lawrence Estuary and nearly the entire Saguenay Fjord. The actual territory of the park is subdivided into three entities:
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The St. Lawrence Estuary: a transitional zone between the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the fresh waters of the St. Lawrence River. Its deep trenches, steep cliffs and long tidal flats shelter a diversity of marine life. |
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The Saguenay Fjord: once a glacial valley. With its impressive steep cliffs it begins at Saint Fulgence, near the town of Saguenay. Fresh water extends nearly 100 km down to Tadoussac, where its waters meet those of the St. Lawrence River. |
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The Confluence: near Tadoussac, the waters of the St. Lawrence River Estuary meet the waters of the Saguenay River and the Atlantic Ocean in a powerful, never-ending collision, fed by a deep current flowing in from the gulf. This area of confluence between fresh and salt water supports marine life of exceptional diversity. |
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Charlevoix World Biosphere Reserve
In 1988, the Charlevoix region was recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program. The Charlevoix World Biosphere Reserve is part of a prestigious worldwide network of protected areas. Collectively, biosphere reserves within this World Network work to achieve a sustainable balance between conserving natural ecosystems and biodiversity and using them without degradation of natural ecosystems.
Biosphere reserves have 3 inter-connected functions:
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Protection of indigenous genetic resources, plant and animal species, ecosystems and landscapes of value such as those exploited by agrisilviculture, fishing, hunting, tourism or any other activity. Preference is given to practices that encourage sustainability. |
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Reserves also play a role in the sustainable use of resources and social development through close cooperation with local communities. This means that the population takes an active part in the sustainable development of territories and are directly involved in decision making.
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Last but not least, they provide facilities for environmental research, monitoring, education and training at the local level – to young people in particular – because they provide fresh thinking on the sustainable future for the territory and its inhabitants.
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