Thanks to financial support from the Saint-Laurent Action Fund (FASL), Nautisme Québec is pleased to announce its new project “Mobilization and support of marinas for an ecological transition: towards sustainable and responsible boating”. This funding is made possible via the restoration program in the protected marine areas of the St. Lawrence (PAMP) in collaboration with the government of Quebec.
Lasting one year, this project aims to raise awareness, mobilize and support managers of marinas located in the marine protected area of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park in order to encourage the adoption of more sustainable practices adapted to their realities.
This initiative takes place in a particularly promising context for the protection of the St. Lawrence. In June 2026, the Quebec government announced the expansion of the Saguenay–Saint Laurent marine park, whose limits now reach nearly 4,500 km². This enlargement demonstrates the importance given to the conservation of this exceptional ecosystem. Remember that the marine park, a unique ecosystem, very rich but also very fragile, is co-managed by the governments of Quebec and Canada.
Mobilization of the nautical sector for the ecological transitionIn order to accelerate the ecological transition and the mobilization of the nautical sector, the approach is based on sharing knowledge, collaboration and raising awareness among stakeholders in the sector.
Marinas, whether public, municipal, associative or private, play an essential role in access to the river, the development of nautical tourism, awareness among boaters and the vitality of riverside communities. However, they face several challenges, including aging infrastructure, investment needs for their upgrades, growing security requirements as well as the protection of the natural environments in which they operate. Marinas play a central role in this territory as places of interaction between boaters and the marine environment. The activities that take place there (navigation, boat maintenance, management of residual and dangerous materials, anchorage, etc.) can have a direct impact on the quality of this very fragile environment.
In a context where human and financial resources are often limited, marinas must find a balance between the economic viability of their activities, the safety of users and the reduction of their environmental footprint. It is in this perspective that the Nautisme Québec project falls.
Over the next year, the initiative will better document the needs of the community, encourage the sharing of good practices and offer targeted support to certain marinas in order to support their ecological transition approach. “Marinas are essential players in Quebec boating and the tourist economy of many regions. Despite often limited resources, they demonstrate a real desire to improve their practices and contribute to the protection of the St. Lawrence. Thanks to the support of the Saint Laurent Action Fund, this project will contribute to taking concrete actions adapted to the realities of the nautical industry in which marinas operate,” underlines Béatrice Launay, director of responsible boating and relations with the community at NAUTIQUE QUÉBEC.
Through this initiative, Nautisme Québec wishes to contribute to better integration of environmental, social and economic dimensions in the management of nautical infrastructure, in order to support collaborative, safe and sustainable development of recreational activities within the protected marine area of the Saguenay–Saint Lawrence Marine Park.