Protected Area The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park occupies 1,138 km2 and includes the entire riverbed of the Saguenay River downstream from Cap de l’Est as well as the northern half the St. Lawrence Estuary from Gros Cap à l’Aigle upstream to Pointe-Rouge (Les Escoumins) downstream. The shoreline boundaries of the park are determined by the ordinary high tide mark, measured without flooding or overflow. Not included in this territory are: any property not owned by the Government of Québec; all marine infrastructures including all wharves, pleasure craft harbours, the Haut-fond Prince lighthouse, and a 25-metre strip around each marine infrastructure without a water lot, in other words, around infrastructures that are situated on the bed of the Saguenay or St. Lawrence River; and any islands and islets.
The park territory, a representative portion of the marine milieu of the fjord and the estuary, is itself part of a larger river system and thus, an open ecosystem. The marine park is therefore managed so as to encourage protection and enhancement beyond the physical limits of the protected area.
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Coordination area The fringe of land around the marine park is a coordination area. The municipalities located along the protected waters as well as others upstream from the Saguenay Fjord and on the south shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary have also been identified by the government to actively participate in activities involving marine park conservation, education and enhancement. Consequently, a number of activities and services are offered by the many organisations location in the coordination area. The coordination area stretches along the entire length of the park both upstream and down, and encompasses all the riparian municipalities: - along the Saguenay Fjord from Chicoutimi to Tadoussac,
- along the north shore of the St. Lawrence from Saint-Fidèle-de-Mont-Murray to Les Escoumins, including the First Nations community of Essipit, and
- along the south shore from Kamouraska to Trois-Pistoles.
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