Restoring an endangered species involves more than just protecting individuals. We have to make projections to ensure that a population becomes self-sufficient. The purpose of recovering an endangered species is not to create zoos everywhere, with species in enclosures or aquariums, but to have a natural environment where populations can reproduce and be self-sufficient. We are currently relying heavily on enclosures to ensure the survival of this population. We will see what happens. However, to protect a species like the caribou, we absolutely must protect its habitat. The science is very clear on this and there is no scientific doubt about the need to bring in measures to address the activities that are harmful to the caribou. Current practices used by the forestry industry are the main cause of the decline in the caribou populations across Canada, not just in Quebec.
I invite people to look to the future. If we protect what we need to protect now to achieve everyone's goal, to protect the caribou, we will create predictability and be able to determine how to practise forestry without harming the caribou's habitat—