This summer, The duty crosses the waters of the St. Lawrence, this giant “almost ocean, almost Atlantic” that Charlebois sings, and its surroundings in order to feed a series. Today, Île aux Lièvres, an essential milestone in biodiversity that has been protected thanks to biologists who are passionate about seabirds.
“A few weeks ago, we could have seen several common eiders. There were some nearby, in front of the rocks. We saw females with their ducklings. You could also see other species on Le Gros Pot, the island just opposite. It was full of birds. It was beautiful to see,” summarizes Jean Bédard, president and founder of Duvetnor, the non-profit company that has managed Île aux Lièvres for almost 40 years.
At the time of the passage of To have to on this island located 10 kilometers off Rivière-du-Loup, the common eiders had almost all left this crucial breeding area to disperse into the St. Lawrence estuary. Nevertheless, in addition to a few female eiders here and there, we could observe several other species of seabirds, but also seals, and occasionally a few whitebacks of beluga whales roaming their summer habitat. “The islands in the area are very important for seabirds. These are very interesting natural environments for several species of sea birds, but also for the biological diversity of the St. Lawrence estuary,” says Mr. Bédard, a pioneer in nature conservation in Quebec.
But what is most striking when you follow the few discovery trails on Île aux Lièvres is the very well-preserved natural beauty of this wooded area 13 kilometers long and at most 1.5 kilometers wide. lenght. Between the south shore, which allows you to observe the Bas-Saint-Laurent and the trio of Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie islands, and the north shore, which offers the mountains of Charlevoix as a backdrop, the Moreover, the visitor most often finds himself alone gazing at the magnificent landscapes. And everything is located in the heart of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, but without being part of it.
Island for sale
If the richness of the biodiversity of the places is obvious, the protection of this ecosystem could never have materialized without the will of the biologists who decided to found Duvetnor in 1979. “Some dreamed of setting up a hunting camp on this island . They could have introduced white-tailed deer, to make it a kind of little Anticosti. There was that kind of pressure and the island was on sale. Sooner or later there would have been a buyer. But we saw it coming and we knew that this island was important to ensure the protection of the other islands in the region. Without that, we were heading towards the development of resorts and mass tourism,” recalls Jean Bédard.
To avoid seeing Île aux Lièvres fall into the hands of promoters, the funds had to be found to acquire it. However, at the time, the interest of political decision-makers was non-existent, says Mr. Bédard. “We were going a long way. It was the Middle Ages. There was no interest. Parks Canada was discussing the creation of the marine park, but the department could not conceive that the islands should be part of the marine park. However, they are biological environments that are subservient to the marine environment. Seabirds and seals are among them. »
While pursuing its approaches to the federal government, Duvetnor therefore embarked on the harvest of eider down, in order to raise funds. It must be said that in addition to Île aux Lièvres and the Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie islands, thousands of these birds nest on islands in this region of the estuary. “I noticed that people were harvesting the down, but sometimes very roughly. I then had the idea of proposing to the government to do the harvest, but by basing it on a scientific approach which generates knowledge on the species and contributes to its protection. »
This harvest, which still constitutes an important part of Duvetnor’s income today, takes place at the end of spring. At this time, female eiders incubate their eggs by protecting them from the cold with down that they tear from their own bodies. The pickers therefore pick up some of it while walking from nest to nest. The operation makes it possible to monitor the populations, but also to subsequently produce a cleaned down which is entirely exported.
Modest project
“When we had down to sell, we set up a project to acquire islands. We put forward the idea of protecting the richness of the islands of the St. Lawrence while promoting a form of intelligent tourism that respects wildlife,” explains Mr. Bédard.
After having succeeded in convincing political decision-makers of the merits of its project, Duvetnor was able to acquire the islands of the Pèlerins archipelago, the Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie islands and the Île aux Lièvres, of which it became owner in 1986. In 1989, the company decided to offer access to the public. It then develops campsites and other accommodation infrastructure, in addition to buying boats to transport visitors.
“There is nothing mercantile in our management. Everything we do is to enrich the experience of visitors who come to discover something extraordinary while protecting the island,” argues Jean Bédard during a visit to the main island facilities, powered by solar panels.
While acknowledging that the activities have long been in deficit, he believes that the reputation of the island is now well established. Despite this, the occupation of the territory will always remain modest, with a maximum of eight cabins, an inn with nine rooms and about twenty campsites. And on Île du Pot du Phare, located nearby, a maximum of six visitors at a time can spend a night in the heritage lighthouse renovated and maintained by Duvetnor, which has made it its visual signature.
The objective of the departure therefore remains to preserve this ecosystem, on land and at sea, affirms Mr. Bédard. Duvetnor convinced the Quebec government to acquire the vast majority of the island a few years ago. This portion is now listed as a “proposed biodiversity reserve”. “Île aux Lièvres is one of twenty islands between Kamouraska and the confluence of the Saguenay and the St. Lawrence. These islands and the marine space that separates them are of major importance for coastal and marine fauna. The location and size of Île aux Lièvres make it the keystone of wildlife conservation in the St. Lawrence estuary,” reads the official document detailing the ecological interest of this territory.
After having fought for the now acquired preservation of several islands in the region, Jean Bédard still fears new threats, mainly those related to the impacts of global warming on the St. Lawrence. “We see areas where the oxygen is decreasing and where the waters are warming up. We are facing degradation. We see this with the decline or disappearance of certain fish stocks, such as herring and capelin. We are in the process of losing the estuary, just as we are going to lose the beluga. I am very pessimistic. We are facing unavoidable destruction. But I prefer to stay in action. »