Protection of wetlands | “Everything indicates that it will be a failure”

The gap continues to widen when it comes to wetland protection, despite numerous warnings. In six and a half years, the Quebec government has authorized the destruction of an area equivalent to nearly 11 times the size of Mount Royal Park, collecting in the process more than $173 million in financial compensation. However, barely 1% of these funds have been invested to date in the creation or restoration of equivalent environments.

Since the entry into force of the Law concerning the conservation of wetlands and bodies of waterin June 2017, the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) gave the green light to thousands of projects which resulted in the destruction of 23.3 km^⁠2 wetlands in the province.

The adoption of this law was supposed to put an end to decades of abuse which allowed the destruction of immense areas of wetlands throughout Quebec, but particularly in the lowlands of the St. Lawrence. It sets an objective of no net loss of wetlands thanks to financial compensation from developers paid to the State Environmental and Water Protection Fund. These amounts must be used to finance wetland restoration or creation projects.

But despite the warnings of many experts in recent years, Quebec still persists with the same strategy.

“We have hope (at the Ministry of the Environment) that the new law would change something and slow down the destruction of wetlands. But the Ministry lives in its ivory tower,” says biologist Kim Marineau, who has more than 30 years of experience.

The data obtained by The Press under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information show that an area equivalent to 7.2 km^⁠2 of backfilled wetlands was compensated by financial contributions. As of December 31, 2023, Quebec had collected $173.2 million. A record $31 million was raised in 2023.

However, only 49 projects have received a grant to date for wetland restoration or creation projects for a total of $1.7 million. The restored area could reach 3.8 km^⁠2data inflated however by a restoration project alone estimated at 1.9 km^⁠2 in Estrie. A cruising speed considered clearly insufficient to achieve the objective of zero net loss of wetlands set by the MELCCFP, judge several experts consulted by The Press.

Bar change required

Holder of the Canada Research Chair in ecological economics and professor at the University of Quebec in Outaouais, Jérôme Dupras strongly doubts that Quebec can achieve its objective without a serious move to correct the shortcomings of its strategy.

“Are we in the right direction to achieve the objective of zero net loss of surface area and ecological functions (of wetlands)? Probably not. »

A situation that is of equal concern to the Quebec Environmental Law Center (CQDE). “The pace of destruction is much faster than restoration,” points out Marc Bishai, lawyer at the CQDE. We are disappointed and worried about the results that are emerging regarding the protection of wetlands. »

“There is no guarantee that we will succeed in creating wetlands with equivalent functions and everything suggests that this will be a failure when we take stock in 2027,” adds M^e Bishai.

The MELCCFP plans to evaluate its strategy in 2027, i.e. 10 years after the entry into force of the Law concerning the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water. However, the situation is already critical in several regions located in the lowlands of the St. Lawrence, specifies biologist Kim Marineau.

Last year, the Commissioner for Sustainable Development, Janique Lambert, noted several shortcomings in the management of the Ministry of the Environment, which put at risk the achievement of the objective of zero net loss.

The Ministry is “sailing blind”

“The biggest risk is running out of water. However, the main function of wetlands is to filter and keep water in different territories,” she mentions.

According to M^me Marineau, the Ministry is “sailing blindly” in this matter.

For Jérôme Dupras, the “voluntary approach” put forward by the Ministry does not create pressure for the restoration or creation of wetlands. Even if Quebec continues to collect millions of dollars in compensation, the chances of people rushing to the gate to propose restoration projects are slim, especially, he specifies, since “the restoration costs are a lot higher than compensation costs.

According to Alain Branchaud, biologist and general director of the Society for Nature and Parks in Quebec, the shortcomings of the strategy deployed by Quebec must be corrected by reversing the burden of restoring wetlands. “There should be support from the project promoter. It is up to him to find the land and it is up to him to carry out the compensation project. The Ministry, for its part, could create a register of sites accessible for compensation (of wetlands). »

“We can clearly see that paying to destroy wetlands is not a deterrent to slow down their destruction,” he says. We must stop destroying them, especially in Montérégie. »

With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The Press

Read the article “Solutions for wet environments”