Gasp officials beg campers to stop dumping RV septic tanks, trash on beaches

The immaculate beaches on the Gulf of St. Lawrence are being defiled by litter and human waste, as Quebecers flock to the Gasp region for the construction holiday.

Frustrated elected officials are begging campers and other visitorsto enjoy nature without sullying it.

The Parti Qubcois MNA for Gasp, Mganne Perry Mlanon, called the situation "worrisome" in a Facebook post Wednesday, sayingshe's working with the minister responsible for the region, Marie-ve Proulx, as well as the Public Security Ministry, to increase police surveillance in the area.

In a tweet Thursday, Quebec provincial police saidpatrols will be increased in touristareas to make sure people are complying with public health rules aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, including wearing masks.

However, police are not threatening consequences.

"The presence of our police officers is intended first and foremost to be preventive," the Sret du Qubec said.

Melanon encouraged Gasp residents to report illegal behaviour to police.

"Although this additional monitoring will ensure better safety for occupants and citizens, we know that this response from the ministry cannot be the only solution," she said.

'It's a bit like hell this year':Gaspmayor

Thebehaviour of many campers has come asa shock to local politicians, and Gasp Mayor Daniel Ct fears there could be public health issues, asraw human waste soilsthe landscape.

"People have somehow appropriated public land, which has become almost private in some cases," he said on the Radio-Canada radio program,Bon pied, bonne heure!

"It's a bit like hell this year."

Tourists have been pitching tents and parking campers anywhere they can find the space,now that COVID-19 has shut down Quebec's borders with the Maritimes and the United States.

People are camping on marshes and beaches, as well as in woodlands and parking lots, while towns struggle to manage the crowds, directing them to cheap overflow campgroundsand posting signs that encourage people to leave no trace.

So far, the signs seem to have had little effect.

Les Mchins, a town of 1,100 on the St. Lawrence River, about 150 kilometresnortheast of Rimouski, saidin a Facebook post that people with recreational vehiclesare draining their septic tanks directly onto beaches, despite the fact that there are plenty of locations to safely dispose of humanwaste throughout the peninsula.

Anyone who spots this behaviour is encouraged to record the licence plates and report it, the town says.

Forest fires,erosion risk worryofficials

Not far from Quebec'spicturesque Cap Mont-Joli, Perc Mayor Cathy Poirier said her biggest fear is that a carelessly attended campfire could ignite the bone-dry vegetation and end in tragedy.

TheMi'gmagGespegNation council has called on the nearby town of Gasp to be more proactive, describing the situation as "out of control."

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Beyond the risk of forest fires, the council said in a statement that driftwood plays an important role in curbing erosion, and yet people are burning it unaware of the consequences.

As well, the nesting grounds of some migratory birds are being excessively disturbed by all the activity, it said.

The mayor of Gasp agrees with the First Nations community and says it's high time visitors clean up their behaviour.

"Gaspsiens are welcoming, have open arms, but a minimum of respect is needed for the local residents," said Ct. "Beaches are not campsites.Forests are not campsites. Our parking lots are not campsites."