Anticosti

The site is co-managed by the Quebec Ministry for the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Fauna and Parks (MELCCFP), the Société du patrimoine mondial Anticosti (SPMA) and the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq). Local and regional stakeholders and rights holders, including the Innu communities of Ekuanitshit and Nutashkuan, are directly involved in the governance of the site through various consultation bodies such as the community committee and the management advisory board (Québec, 2025). They are also decision-making members of the administration board of the Société du patrimoine mondial Anticosti (SPMA), a non-profit organisation that is the government's main partner in managing the site (Québec, 2025, SPMA, 2024). The SPMA was created on 22/05/2024 (Lettres patentes, 2024) and the first director recruited in October 2024. The SPMA has significant responsibilities that include contributing to the protection and management of the site, but principally for the outreach associated with the property (interpretation, research and education). Funding of $2.54 million for the years 2024 to 2028 has been granted to the SPMA by the Quebec government to launch its activities (Gazette officielle du Québec, 2025). The importance of the 2024 Indigenous Stewardship Policy established by Parks Canada is noted (Reference: Parks Canada, Message from the Indigenous Stewardship Circle) and it is hoped that the principals are embraced in the governance of Anticosti.

The permanent protection status for the whole property has been completed under the Anticosti Biodiversity Reserve (10/01/2024) and its associated regulation updated (15/08/2024) (Gazette officiel du Québec, Règlement sur la réserve de biodiversité d’Anticosti, 2024). Cette aire protégée fournit le cadre juridique et réglementaire assurant la protection de la valeur universelle exceptionnelle de 95 % du bien, la protection du reste étant déjà assurée par le parc national et les réserves écologiques existants qui possèdent leur propre cadre juridique.

The governance of the site has been developed since the inscription of the site in 2023.
Since inscription progress on governance appeared to be slow and it was unclear to what extent stakeholders, including the local community and the Ekuanitshit and Nutashkuan First Nations, were empowered to contribute to the site protection, management and to progress the important community projects (Radio Canada, 2024; Ma Côte-nord, 2024). However, governance of the site was clarified during a meeting of the UNESCO Anticosti Stakeholders' Table in March 2025 (Québec, 2025). Local and regional stakeholders and rights holders, including the Innu communities of Ekuanitshit and Nutashkuan, are directly involved in the governance of the site through various consultation bodies such as the community committee and the management advisory board (Québec, 2025). They are also decision-making members of the administration board of the Société du patrimoine mondial Anticosti (SPMA), a non-profit organisation that is the government's main partner in managing the site (Québec, 2025, SPMA, 2024).The newly created Société du patrimoine mondial Anticosti (SPMA) recruited a director at the end of 2024 and currently has 4 permanent and 4 seasonal employees (IUCN consultation, 2025).

Publicly available minutes from the Municipalité régionale de comté de Minganie for example, the regional governmental body demonstrate that the property is well integrated into local, regional and provincial planning systems (MRC Minganie, 2024).

The property covers almost the entire wave cut platform, beach and cliffs of the island of Anticosti. It includes a legal mechanism for future boundary adjustments, in response to natural changes in the landscape. As the property naturally evolves, changes are absorbed by a mobile 1km buffer zone that is pinned to the top the cliff top or talus slope (State Party of Canada, 2022).

There are no overlapping international designations.

The site has been inscribed in 2023 and has not been object of any decision or recommendation since then.

The nomination dossier stated that climate monitoring would be established for the property. A study funded by the Quebec government and produced in 2023 included a component to quantify changes in environmental parameters under the effect of climate change up to 2100 (Savoie-Ferron et al. 2023). In particular, this study concludes that a rise in mean annual air temperatures and an increase in precipitation are expected. As a result of climate change, a rise in relative sea level and an increase in wave energy are also predicted for Anticosti, due in particular to the reduction in ice cover. Regular monitoring is needed to understand and, above all, quantify the effect of climatic parameters on recession patterns and rates. Because rocky cliffs evolve rather slowly, studies of their erosion require surveys over a period of several years to establish the links between recession rates, recession modes and the processes and factors involved. The association between triggering climatic events and cliff erosion presents significant difficulties, partly because of the response times between these events. Difficulties are also associated with the presence of ice and snow on the cliffs in the event that surveys are carried out in winter, particularly to target the effect of cryoclastic processes. The isolation of the study area and the associated logistical difficulties add to those already mentioned. The Quebec government is currently in discussions with the Université du Québec à Rimouski to assess the possibility of continuing these studies on the effect of climate change on the EUV (IUCN consultation, 2025).

The site is co-managed by the Quebec Ministry for the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Fauna and Parks (MELCCFP), the Société du patrimoine mondial Anticosti (SPMA) and the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq). The management of the property is guided by a management plan with measurable objectives (IUCN, 2023). This management plan for the World Heritage Site also aims to harmonise management activities in the four protected areas in the network that encompass the entire property and its buffer zone: the Proposed Anticosti Biodiversity Reserve, Anticosti National Park, Pointe-Heath Ecological Reserve, Grand-Lac-Sal Ecological Reserve

A mix of protection measures are in place that include information panels as well as the presence of MELCCFP or Sepaq staff, particularly during tourist high season (IUCN, 2023). A dedicated surveillance team is planned to be formed (IUCN consultation, 2024).

The MELCCFP has a track record for proving stable, long term funds for protection and management of its sites, and the Quebec government has made a commitment to UNESCO to provide the human and financial resources needed in the short, medium and long term to ensure adequate protection and management of the property (State Party of Canada, 2022).
The SPMA has secured funds from various parties, including the Province of Quebec for its various outreach projects, however the amount and duration of funds available is uncertain (Radio Canada, 2024; MRC de Minganie, 2024).

A dedicated government management team was established when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage list, however it has not yet been finalised (IUCN consultation, 2025). Although it is recognised that the MELCCLP is a strong manager of biodiversity, efforts should be continued to develop skills in the protection and management of geoheritage (IUCN Consultation, 2024). Indeed, while there are plans to hire a geologist (IUCN consultation, 2025), the team still lacks a specialist with the skills to protect and management the attributes for which the property is inscribed. However, a scientific director and a research manager, both geologists, have been employed by the Anticosti World Heritage Society since it was founded. These experts work closely with the Quebec government and provide advisory support in the management, protection and conservation of the property (IUCN consultation, 2025).

An interim team consisting of an education and enhancement manager and 2 interpreter-guides has carried out the education and interpretation since inscription (IUCN consultation, 2025). During the 2024 summer season, more than 2,000 visitors took part in activities such as guided tours of the Anticosti: The Fabulous Epic of Living Things exhibition, talks on outstanding universal value, lectures by experts on geodiversity and biodiversity, and outdoor outings on the World Heritage Site.
Since the establishment of the SPMA in 2024, the education and interpretation programme is under the responsibility of the SPMA.

According to data shared by the Sépaq, an increase of 4,000 person-days was observed in 2022 following registration, and remained stable in 2023 (IUCN consultation, 2025). Data for 2024 are currently being compiled. These data should be interpreted with caution, as only tourists who used Sépaq's infrastructure are counted. The increase observed has been mainly attributed to the increased numbers of hunters and fishermen (IUCN consultation, 2025). The tourism offer to the World Heritage site is carefully marketed via the regional tourism agency (Tourisme Cote-Nord) for example through well managed 5 day trips including accommodation and permits to enter the Anticosti National Park (Sépaq Anticosti).

The only activity within the property is tourism, which is carefully managed and no new leases have been permitted for tourist resorts (IUCN, 2023).

The management team was established when Anticosti was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2023. The team, which is yet to be finalized, is without a geoscientist with technical understanding of property OUV, thus without the capacity to ensure the geoheritage is properly monitored and managed. However, geological expertise is still available within the SPMA team, where two geologists are part of the permanent team (IUCN consultation, 2025). They advise the government on the management of the OUV and work closely with the government management team. With regard to site monitoring, the site management team applies the monitoring system presented in section 8 of the Anticosti World Heritage Site management plan (Plan de gestion, 2021). According to the planned frequency of indicator monitoring, the first results will be compiled two years after the site is listed. An initial preliminary assessment will therefore be carried out in the winter of 2025-2026 for indicators that are monitored every two years (IUCN consultation, 2025).

Scientific research into the site is continuing to improve the knowledge of the property and its contribution to our understanding of the first great mass extinction. Numerous articles have been published since the inscription of the property as listed in the references to this outlook review (for the year 2024).
The research focuses on the inherent OUV of the site and less on management attributes of the site. Since Anticosti was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2023, the following is a list of refereed scientific articles on the OUV of the site: Ausich and Zehler, 2023; Cole et al, 2025; Desrochers, 2023; Jin and Harper, 2024; Jonckheere et al, 2025; Klock et al, 2024; Mueller et al, 2024; Schwarz et al, 2025; Zimmt and Jin, 2023; Zimmt et al, 2024, 2025. In addition, other peer-reviewed articles have been published on cross-cutting subjects, but related to the Anticosti EUV, including : Daoust et al, 2023; Desrochers and Marcotte, 2023; Goslin et al, 2023; Hétu et al, 2023; Perrier and Garneau, 2023; Pinet, 2025; Venne and Bélanger, 2023).

The management system and governance is effective outside the site. The legal setting of Anticosti island provides strong protection for the property. The governance bodies draw together varied stakeholders with an authority and capacity to act in the interest of the site outside its boundaries (IUCN, 2023).

The management system and governance is reasonably effective inside the site. The legal setting of Anticosti island provides strong protection for the property and the governance bodies are in the process of being established following site inscription. The two points on which to remain vigilant are the recruitment of a geoscientist with the responsibility for the management and monitoring of the OUV, for which the site was inscribed. Geological expertise is nevertheless available within the SPMA team, where two geologists are part of the permanent team. They advise the government on the management of the VUE and work closely with the government management team.