COP15: PORT OF QUÉBEC ACTS TO PROTECT AND DEVELOP BIODIVERSITY
12/19/2022
Québec City, December 19, 2022 - As a side note to the fifteenth United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), the Port of Québec proudly supports the announced biodiversity conservation objectives and is committed to further its actions promoting the ecological integrity of the nature in its territory.
The Port of Québec has a vast territory at the heart of the greater Québec City region, in addition to managing a large 35 km2 body of water on the St. Lawrence River between the Cap-Rouge river and Île d’Orléans. Many natural habitats, both aquatic and terrestrial, are found there:
- The Battures-de-Beauport and Chenal de l'Île d’Orléans IBA is inhabited by a multitude of plant and animal species, with 38 special status species including the at-risk short-eared owl and peregrine falcon.
- Essential habitats for the Victorin’s gentian, a threatened species endemic to Québec and found in the upper coastline freshwater marshes on the port territory.
- Diversified, thriving habitats important for the lifecycle of several aquatic species, notably many fish like freshwater and black sturgeon, American shad, and striped bass, in addition to many species favoured for sport fishing.
In the coming years, the Port of Québec will increase its efforts to enhance its natural habitats and allow biodiversity to thrive there. To achieve this, we will be able to track a series of reliable indicators representing the ecosystems to assess the territory’s progress and contemplate promising initiatives to reach certain ambitious targets inspired from international consensus, especially those discussed under COP15. This project for the ecological integrity of the Port of Québec’s territory comes with the ambition to work with recognized local environmental organizations to make this information available to citizens.
The Port of Québec would like to take this opportunity to highlight the agreement reached early this morning to reverse the global biodiversity loss at the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montréal.
About Port of Québec
The Port of Québec is among Canada’s five largest ports in terms of tonnage handled and economic spinoffs. It is strategically located to serve North America’s industrial and agricultural heartland. Each year, cargo ships from or to some fifty countries call at the Port of Québec to connect the Great Lakes and Midwestern U.S. markets to the rest of the world. Twenty percent of the port’s territory, which extends from Beauport to the South Shore, is dedicated to recreational activities and tourism.
- 30 -
Information:
Frédéric Lagacé
Communications Director
418 929-5031
[email protected]