Caribou Natural resource development

Avis scientifique dans le cadre des consultations sur le décret d’urgence visant à protéger le caribou au Québec

St-Laurent, M-H. & Ray, J.

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Populations de Val-d’or, de Charlevoix et de Pipmuacan

Abstract

The federal government is currently offering members of the public an opportunity to comment on the Emergency Order (s. 80, federal Species at Risk Act) aimed at protecting the Vald’Or, Charlevoix and Pipmuacan Boreal Caribou populations in Quebec. As scientific researchers and recognized caribou specialists in Canada, we would like to share our reading of the situation with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Generally speaking, we are in favour of ECCC’s initiative, and support the invocation of this emergency order, a first for caribou in Canada in over 20 years of existence of the Act. A large body of scientific evidence – including several published by the Quebec government – provides solid support for the line of arguments behind the emergency order.

It is clear that the measures that have been put in place by the Quebec government over more than a decade are insufficient to ensure the self-sufficiency of the populations targeted by this order. Although the evidence provided in the Imminent Threats Assessment establishes a strong case for imminent threat for these three populations, which serves as the basis of this Order, we describe below several concerns that we have about other dimensions of the analysis provided.

We therefore make the following recommendations:

1. Complete (or carry out) the assessment of imminent threats to other boreal woodland caribou populations found in Quebec, and to the Atlantic Gaspésie caribou population, with a view to determining whether they should be proposed for an emergency order;
2. Re-evaluate the exclusion of projects related to the exploration and exploitation of primary resources identified on Canada's list of critical minerals from this emergency order; and
3. Implement incentives to support systemic changes in the policies and processes governing forest management in Quebec in order to limit socio-economic impacts while preserving more undisturbed forest areas for the benefit of caribou.

Recommended citation

St-Laurent, M-H. & Ray, J. (2024). Avis scientifique dans le cadre des consultations sur le décret d’urgence visant à protéger le caribou au Québec. WCS Canada, UQAR. https://wcscanada.org/resources/avis-scientifique-dans-le-cadre-des-consultations-sur-le-decret-durgence-visant-a-proteger-le-caribou-au-quebec/