Social, Economic and Cultural Overview of the Quebec Region
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Social, Economic and Cultural Overview of the Quebec Region Oceans, Habitat and Species at Risk Publication Series, Newfoundland and Labrador Region No. 0007 March 2009 Social, Economic, and Cultural Overview of the Quebec Region Prepared by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Policy and Economics Regional Branch 1 Quebec Region Published by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Region P.O. Box 5667 St. John’s, NL A1C 5X1 1 104 Dalhousie Street, Québec City, QC, G1K 7Y7 i ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2011 Cat. No. Fs22-6/7-2011E-PDF ISSN 1919-2193 ISBN 978-1-100-18434-0 DFO/2011-1739 Correct citation for this publication: Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2011. Social, Economic, and Cultural Overview of the Quebec Region. OHSAR Pub. Ser. Rep. NL Region. No. 0007: xviii + 168p. ii Production Team Writing Francis Bilodeau, P&E, Quebec Region Collaborators Frédéric Lessard, P&E, Quebec Region Marie-France Dalcourt, Oceans Directorate, Quebec Region Text layout Marie-Pierre Villeneuve, P&E, Quebec Region Acronyms GOSLIM: Gulf of Saint Lawrence Integrated Management SLV: Saint Lawrence Vision 2000 LOMA: Large Ocean Management Zone RMC: Regional Municipal County LSL: Lower Saint Lawrence GMI: Gaspésie–Magdalen Islands NS: North Shore MI: Magdalen Islands ZIP: Area of Prime Concern DFO: Fisheries and Oceans Canada P&E: Policy and Economics Regional Branch SCH: Small Craft Harbours CCG: Canadian Coast Guard ACCORD: Concerted Action for Regional Cooperation and Development MAPAQ: Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Quebec MRNF: Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Quebec MDEIE: Ministère du développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation du Quebec STQ: Société des Transports du Québec Abbreviations K$: thousands of Canadian dollars M$: millions of Canadian dollars B$: billions of Canadian dollars MW: Mega Watt Mt: millions of tons iii Acknowledgements A special thank you to all the team of the Policy and Economics Regional Branch for its essential contribution in the redaction of this document, particularly to Ali Magassouba and Evelyne Dufault for their revision of the document in spite of a loaded schedule. iv Summary To implement a process of effective integrated management in the Saint Lawrence Gulf, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Integrated Management (GOSLIM) initiative asks for basic information on a wide range of social, economic and cultural factors, as well as on human activities. This information will be combined with ecological data to form a complete image of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence region. Quebec has three administrative regions that are usually considered to be marine that are the Lower Saint Lawrence, the North-Shore and the Gaspésie– Magdalen Islands. The Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions, although lining a part of the middle estuary, do not represent at all the maritime aspect demonstrated by the other regions as far as human activities are concerned and will be excluded, as will the Saguenay River. Data will be presented, as often as possible, by Regional Municipal County (RMC). About 400,000 people live in the Quebec maritime territory. A vast territory with few people, the average population density is four times less than the average density of the Quebec province as a whole. Although the total population of this region increased slightly, the majority of RMCs experienced a population decline during the last few years. Nevertheless, certain population projections foresaw a global decline due to an aging population. The educational level in these regions is, on average, lower than Quebec as a whole, although it has improved during the last five years. The proportion of people not having obtained any diploma is nearly twice as high in Gaspésie– Magdalen Islands and on the North-Shore as the Quebec average, while the number of individuals possessing only a secondary education diploma is similar to the overall average. Globally, fewer people from the Gaspésie and the North-Shore claim to be in good health as compared to the rest of Quebec. Health expenses increase, sometimes more quickly than the Quebec average, but the vastness of the territory covered in these regions makes such comparisons difficult to interpret. Only the North-Shore seems to present a different profile of mortality from the rest of Quebec. Moreover, it is in this region that the number of smokers and alcohol consumption are the highest and exceed the overall Quebec average. Of the 20 RMCs of the region, 17 lie along the Saint Lawrence River, as do a hundred municipalities. Additionally, 11 Aboriginal communities representing 3 different nations lie within the territory: Innus, Mi’kmaq and Malecites. Since the end of 1980’s, an action plan was developed to protect the Saint Lawrence River. This plan, called Saint Lawrence Vision 2000, is presently in its fourth phase and is responsible for the creation of numerous committees for Areas of Prime Concern (ZIP) that represent the communities’ interests within the integrated v management plans. The unemployment rate is generally higher in the maritime regions than in the rest of Quebec. The activity and unemployment rates are lower than the Quebec average in all RMCs, except that of Sept-Rivières which has a higher activity rate. Certain communities depend either mainly or averagely on activities from the primary sector such as forestry and fishing or mining. It is on the North-Shore that one finds per capita disposible income higher due to the mining industry. Per capita disposable income within the Gaspésie–Magdalen Islands and the Lower Saint Lawrence RMCs is always lower than the Quebec average, but increases more rapidly than in the Lower Saint Lawrence. The economic dependence is two to three times more important in the Gaspésie–Magdalen Islands than it is for the Quebec average. A considerable asymmetry exists at this level on the North- Shore because of the mining industry. The maritime regions’ gross domestic product (GDP), which is 4.4 % of the Quebec total, increases less quickly, particularly for the Gaspésie–Magdalen Islands. The number of active fishermen decreased by half in Quebec since moratoriums on groundfish began at the beginning of the 1990’s. However, the value of landings increased during this same period, mainly because of the increased value of snow crab and lobster and an increase in shrimp landings. Landings of groundfish and pelagic species fell sharply during the last twenty years. Commercial fishermen are aging and few young people seem to want to enter this industry. The major landing ports are situated in Gaspésie–Magdalen Islands. The First Nations established their place in the commercial fishing industry at the beginning of the 21st century. Sales of transformed products are twice as large as the value of total landings and amounted to $290 M in 2006. On the whole, more than 8,000 employees depend directly on the marine products industry. Aquaculture in Quebec limits itself to mollusk production, principally blue mussels, followed by scallops. Although the industry experienced considerable growth during the past few years, it remains an emergent industry. The same can be said for biotechnologies and marine industries. Marine transportation is an important activity in this region, where about 10,000 journeys occur every year. Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier are the most active ports and export mainly iron ore and cereals from the Canadian West. Certain industries, such as pulp and paper, depend on this less expensive means of transportation. About ten ferryboat services assure connection among various islands and along the Saint Lawrence coastline, while more than 2,000 jobs depend directly on this industry. Although the ports of Quebec and Montreal are excluded from the zone, these ports are a source of significant traffic of dangerous materials on the river. vi Expenses connected with recreational activities and tourism in general in these regions amounted to $478 M in 2006. Tourism specifically connected to maritime activities engendered expenses of $190 M. Other activities, such as international cruises or excursions, recreational fishing and pleasure boating, resulted in economic benefits of more than $220 M. Few oil sites are presently being exploited, although the region’s potential seems to be very promising. A significant wind energy project has just been established in the Gaspésie, entailing expenses close to $5 B. The mining industry, aluminum production, forestry and its subsequent transformation, as well as agriculture are all important economic activities for these regions. Their impacts on communities, as well as on the maritime environment, are significant because of their industrial waste. Beyond the common human activities, maritime Quebec is the repository of an important cultural heritage. Indeed, numerous marine archeological sites, lighthouses and significant wreckage lie in the banks of the Gulf. This region has numerous protected zones to protect fauna and marine flora. vii viii Table of Contents Production Team .....................................................................................................iii Acronyms..................................................................................................................iii Abbreviations ...........................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements................................................................................................