Information Exchange Workshop –
The Marine Environment of the Islands

Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, March 6, 2013 -- Following the latest meeting of the advisory committee for the study on the creation of a marine protected area in the Magdalen Islands, Parks Canada and the Quebec Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs (MDDEFP) announced an information exchange workshop on the marine environment of the Magdalen Islands, to be held on March 7 and 8 in Havre-aux-Maisons, as well as a new Web site.

Information Exchange Workshop with UQAR
The University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR) scientific team in charge of the scientific component of the study, which is being coordinated by the MDDEFP and Parks Canada, is holding an information exchange workshop on March 7 and 8. They have invited a group of stakeholders from the Magdalen Islands with different types of expertise related to the issues being studied. The purpose of the workshop is to encourage the involvement of local players, to present the available data, to confirm the validity of the information collected and enhance it, and to propose and discuss conservation and presentation objectives for the study area, based on ecological, economic, social and cultural considerations.

The UQAR scientific team hopes to harness the local knowledge and expertise of island community stakeholders and incorporate this information into the study. Their contribution will help round out the overview of the area that the team is preparing. A summary of the presentations and discussions will be made available in the near future.

Among the different communication tools available for informing the public a revamped Web site was considered the best way to respond to the community’s expectations. The new site contains all of the information published since the December 2011 announcement of the agreement between Quebec and Canada to carry out the study on the Islands. Electronic newsletters, maps, photographs, fact sheets, news releases and useful links are all accessible on this new site. Additional information and documents will be added to the site as they become available to show the progress of the study as it moves forward.

To learn more about the study on a marine protected area in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, visit the new site at www.etudeairemarineim.ca/index.php/en/.

-30-

Information:
Lise Rochette
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Vice-President, Operations
Eastern Canada
Parks Canada
Tel.: 418-648-4539

Media Relations
Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs
Tel.: 418-521-3991