Off-roading in Gaspé rivers harming salmon habitats, prompts calls for action

Trucks, ATVs and large vehicles off-roading through salmon habitat in Quebec's Gaspé region are angering environmental organizations fighting to protect the fragile species.

On some days, dozens of vehicles travel through the Petit Pabos River for more than three kilometres to access a popular swimming spot, according to local advocates.

Quebec's federation for Atlantic salmon is calling for a ban on vehicles in the riverbeds. But without proper enforcement, the group's director Charles Cusson worries "nothing's going to change."

"It's basically the wild west," said Cusson, who has seen social media posts of people boasting about driving through rivers, prompting others to want to do it, too.

"Other people with the right type of vehicles say, 'See that? Wow, cool, let's go do that, too. Let's go make an F-150 commercial,'" he said.

Millions of dollars in public money have been invested over the years to protect the critical salmon habitats the trucks are driving through, Cusson added.

Pickup stuck for 3 days

Low water levels have only increased the harmful trend over the past 10 years, said René Giroux, operations co-ordinator with Regroupement pour la restauration des trois rivières Pabos, an organization for the protection of the Pabos network of three rivers located near the small city of Chandler on the Gaspé Peninsula.

Giroux said the group has taken photographs of up to 50 vehicles driving in the rivers.

"It's unimaginable. It's become a quasi tourist attraction to drive through wildlife habitats," said Giroux.

A dozen cars were photographed travelling across the banks of the Petit Pabos River to access a popular swimming spot. (Regroupement pour la restauration des trois rivières Pabos)

In June, a pickup truck attempting to cross the river got stuck and was trapped in the water for three days, before provincial workers towed it away.

"There was oil and Prestone [coolant] running down the river," said Giroux.

Pierre-Olivier Fortin, assistant director for Quebec's federation for Atlantic salmon, said rainbow smelt are also at risk of being harmed by the vehicles.

There are many ways the practice of driving in the rivers can harm fish habitats, Fortin said, including stirred-up sediment clogging salmon spawning grounds.

"This fish has a vulnerable status in Quebec. It's clear that this is directly damaging their habitat."

Fortin says vehicle traffic also causes young fish to be displaced from areas where they can grow.

Raising awareness no longer enough

A petition launched by the Regroupement pour la restauration des trois rivières Pabos that has garnered over 500 signatures is urging the nearby City of Chandler to take action.

Although Quebec already bans motorized vehicle traffic in waterways, organizations say provincial and federal legislation are difficult to enforce.

To impose a fine, Fortin says there has to be proof of clear environmental damage linked to the individual.

"It's very long and complex. You have to bring in biologists and it's often difficult to attribute damage to a single passage," he said.

Fortin believes a municipal bylaw would be more effective in penalizing offenders.

Organizations say the circulation of vehicles in and along the river has an impact on multiple species of fish. (Regroupement pour la restauration des trois rivières Pabos)

A committee, which included the City of Chandler, was established in 2021 to try to resolve the problem.

But after several unsuccessful awareness campaigns, the committee determined two years later that the most effective solution would be for Chandler to prohibit vehicle traffic on the banks and in the beds of the Pabos rivers.

"Raising awareness seems to have reached its limit," said Fortin.

Giroux said Chandler already prohibits vehicles from beaches, and would only need to add the rivers themselves to its bylaw. He says Quebec provincial police could enforce a municipal ban.

Mayor considering alternatives

Chandler Mayor Gilles Daraîche worries that imposing a municipal ban on vehicle traffic in the riverbeds would have many downsides for riverside property owners.

"We're going to see if we can change a regulation without disrupting everyone's lives," he said. "The riparian buffer is 200 feet long. If we ban vehicle traffic, those people, many of whom are seniors, would have to get to the land on foot."

Daraîche said building a parking lot near the Chute des Américains, in partnership with the Regroupement pour la restauration des trois rivières Pabos, is maybe a better solution to prevent vehicle traffic in the Petit Pabos River.

"This would allow people to walk to the Chute des Américains. It is five minutes away," he said. "We would solve a big part of the problem."

But success would depend on private landowners agreeing to grant a right of way.

The mayor said he had a meeting with the Environment Ministry in early July to discuss the idea.

Quebec already prohibits motor vehicle traffic in waterways, but the province is struggling to enforce the rules, he added.

Additional police surveillance

Const. Frédéric Deshaies, a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), said provincial police are aware of vehicle traffic in the Petit Pabos River.

Deshaies added the SQ and cadets have patrolled the area and will continue to monitor it specifically.

Without municipal regulations in place, it is up to wildlife officers — not the police — to enforce the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife, Deshaies said. The law prohibits motor vehicles from driving in waterways.

Deshaies said that if the municipality were to create a bylaw, then the SQ would be prepared to enforce it.

"We would do our job," Deshaies said.