JULIEN MARCHAL - Quebec (and French) Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network: 1-877-722-5346

In France, we are fortunate to have PELAGOS. In Monaco, France and Italy each set up an "awareness and whale-watching" working group on the " Marine Mammal Sanctuary in the Mediterranean " to work for the Ministry of the Environment.

The 10 French actors in the outreach group are:

Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes de Montpellier (scientific organization)
Whales and Dolphins without Borders (association)
SNCM (shipping company)
WWF France (scientific organization for the "Cap Ligure" program)
GREC (scientific organization)
RIMMO (association)
Delphinia Sea Conservation (association)
CETUS (association)
GECEM (scientific organization)
SOS GRAND BLEU (association)

This group meets regularly in Hyères in the offices of the National Park of Port - Cros. All decisions and meetings are taken in these premises.

The group brings together scientific and non-scientific associations, laboratories, universities, schools and professionals of the sea.

The data collected at sea by the different scientific actors and participants are brought to Mr. Beaubrun P.C, director of the laboratory of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) based in Montpellier.

In Canada, more precisely in the Province of Quebec, tens of thousands of marine mammals are victims of incidents related to various human activities. The St. Lawrence is no exception to this reality involving at least 13 species of marine mammals, cetaceans and seals.

In 2004, a group of experts recommended the creation of a network of organizations and institutions in Quebec that were already working with marine mammals. The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network was born.

This network is the result of a concerted effort with the following partners

Montreal Biodome
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Parks Canada
Quebec City Aquarium
Marine Mammal Research and Education Group (GREMM)
Mingan Island Research Station (MICS)
Marine Mammal Observation Network (ROMM)
Quebec Centre for Wildlife Health (CQSAS)
St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology (SLNIE)

It is funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Government of Canada's Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, the Canadian Whale Institute and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

This Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network allows "the organization, coordination and implementation of measures aimed at reducing accidental marine mammal deaths, rescuing animals in difficulty and acquiring knowledge about dead animals (stranded or drifting) in the waters of the St. Lawrence bordering Quebec.

It is by the toll free number 1 -877-7 whale (1-877-722-5346) that users and residents of the St. Lawrence are invited to alert.

GREMM receives and manages calls to the Network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Depending on the case, intervention teams can be organized to intervene rapidly.

The goal of this network is to save endangered species from extinction and to collect data on dead animals.

Therefore, when traveling in Quebec, if you see an animal in trouble, you must call this number as soon as possible.

Thank you for them!