Quebec could review its regulations on wetlands

Quebec says it is open to reviewing its regulations on wetlands to prevent more losses in certain regions.

The Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, Benoit Charrette, told The Press Saturday that his government was concerned about the situation in certain regions of Quebec.

Last October, The Press revealed that since 2017, Quebec had collected more than $100 million in compensation for the destruction of wetlands. Barely 2.6% had been reinvested for the restoration or creation of new wetlands.

However, in certain regions such as Laval, Montreal or Montérégie, the situation is particularly critical since wetlands are increasingly rare there.

“In even more vulnerable regions, I was talking about Laval, Montreal and Montérégie, in urban centres, I asked if we couldn’t adapt the regulations specifically to those areas so that there is no more losses. It’s a reflection that is ongoing,” said Minister Charrette, who attended an announcement by the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) on Saturday, on the sidelines of COP15 on biodiversity, which is being held in Montreal.

“There may be a regulatory change at this level during the current mandate. I am not in a position to confirm the terms and conditions, but we realize that there are regions that are becoming extremely vulnerable in relation to their loss of wetlands,” he added.

Wetlands, it should be remembered, are complex ecosystems that are home to several endangered species in the province. They are also important carbon sinks in a context of climate crisis.

Benoit Charrette also indicated that his ministry had to speed up the pace in order to restore or create new wetlands.

The new Wetlands and Bodies of Water Actadopted in 2017, was supposed to put an end to decades of abuse that have destroyed huge areas across Quebec, particularly in the Basse-Terre du Saint-Laurent.

The new legislation has established a system of financial compensation which is first paid into the Fund for the protection of the environment and the state water domain. The amounts must be used for projects to create or restore wetlands.

The minister acknowledged that “the sums raised so far represent considerable amounts”. “I gave the instruction that we ensure that the regulations are flexible enough to carry out the projects in question without too much additional delay,” he added.