MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –
Source: Government of Canada – in French 1
April 30, 2024 – Gatineau, Quebec
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, makes the following statement in response to the measures targeting boreal and mountain caribou in the Gaspé announced today by the Government of Quebec.
“I would like to thank the Quebec government for presenting its plans before the May 1 deadline. However, several key elements are absent, notably on the commitment of the Quebec government made in August 2022 to reduce the rate of disturbance in caribou habitat so that at least 65% of caribou habitat is protected. 100 of the territory of the latter, for each of the caribou populations, is undisturbed.
“In addition, today’s announcement is silent on several caribou populations. The Quebec government must publish a strategy for all boreal caribou populations in Quebec, including immediate interim measures.
“The caribou is iconic in Canada and additional measures are necessary to ensure their survival. We remain open to supporting the Government of Quebec in implementing measures aimed at the recovery and protection of boreal caribou and the Gaspésie. These discussions can continue once the plans have been evaluated.
“The caribou is of great cultural and spiritual importance to Indigenous peoples and we continue our productive discussions with Indigenous leaders in Quebec. We recognize their important role in wildlife conservation and the need to consider their traditional knowledge in the development and implementation of caribou protection and recovery measures.
“The boreal caribou and the mountain caribou of Gaspésie are unique in Canada. Their extinction is something we will never be able to repair and we cannot leave this possibility on the table. We are collectively responsible for their survival and we cannot fail. Our success will be measured when these populations are prosperous and self-sufficient. We look forward to working with the Government of Quebec and Indigenous peoples to make this happen. »
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
