Improve marine safety.

What success looks like

Canadians are kept safe and Canada's coasts are protected through evidence-based emergency preparedness and response.

Government's narrative on progress

The government has announced initiatives worth over $800 million, including $130 million in new science funding for partnerships, improved knowledge, and development of new technologies to help mitigate and prevent marine incidents such as oil spills. Partnerships with Indigenous groups is a pillar of the Oceans Protection Plan, and to date, 352 engagement sessions/workshops have been held with multiple Indigenous groups. On June 21, 2018, 14 Central and North Coast First Nations in British Columbia and the Government of Canada signed an Agreement to support a more coordinated and efficient approach to the governance, management, and protection of oceans in the Pacific North Coast. Since 2017, six Oceans Protection Plan Pacific Dialogue Forums have been held in British Columbia. The Forums are an opportunity for all sectors, including Indigenous groups, industry, NGOs, municipalities, and provincial authorities, to come together and discuss initiatives and topics related to marine safety and the environment. The recent Fall 2018 Dialogue Forums included topics such as emergency towing improvements, the creation of a new Hazardous and Noxious Substances regime, and vessel anchorages. Following the release of the *Pilotage Act* Review’s final report on May 22, 2018, key stakeholders were engaged both at working level and through a Ministerial roundtable held on July 4, 2018. Transport Canada intends to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity to enable improvements in the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of Canada’s pilotage system. On December 13, 2018, amendments to the *Canada Shipping Act, 2001* and the *Marine Liability Act* were approved by Parliament. These amendments will enhance marine environmental protection and marine safety, including: ŸStrengthening the protection of marine environments, including at-risk whale populations, from the impacts of routine shipping and navigation activities; ŸClarifying and strengthening the Canadian Coast Guard’s authorities to support a more proactive, rapid, and effective response to spills from ships; ŸModernizing the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund, including enabling unlimited compensation to be provided to responders and victims of oil spills from ships. As part of the National Strategy to Address Wrecked and Abandoned vessels, the government introduced the *Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels Act* (Bill C-64) in October 2017 to enhance federal authorities and strengthen vessel owner responsibility and liability including the costs of vessel clean-up. The Bill has received Royal Assent on February 28, 2019. In addition, the government has provided financial support for the assessment or removal of over 131 abandoned or wrecked vessels under Transport Canada’s Abandoned Boats Program and Fisheries and Oceans’ Small Craft Harbours Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program. Transport Canada’s program provided over $1 million in funding for research on environmentally-friendly vessel recycling and design along with education initiatives to raise awareness for vessel owners. Under the Small Craft Harbours program, 23 vessels have been removed and disposed of from federally owned harbours across the country. Applications for another 11 vessels have been accepted to assist in their future removal. The Government of Canada continues its work under the $167.4 million Whales Initiative to protect and support the recovery of endangered whale populations across Canada by addressing key threats to the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW), the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) and the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga. A further investment of $61.5 million was announced in October 2018 to address threats to SRKW. In February 2019, Technical Working Groups, consisting of Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, environmental groups, research organizations, and industry were established to identify immediate 2019 measures, as well as longer-term measures to address key threats to the recovery of the SRKW. The results of the voluntary vessel slowdown and lateral displacement trial implemented in the Salish Sea in Summer 2018 are currently being analyzed and will help inform large commercial vessel underwater noise mitigation measures for Summer 2019. Additionally, on February 7, 2019, the Government announced its third year of measures to protect NARW in the Gulf of St-Lawrence. Given the positive outcome of no known NARW deaths in Canadian waters during the 2018 season, 2019 measures build upon those of 2018 with minor modifications based on consultation with industry and the best available science. The measures will be in place between April 28 and November 15, 2019. Recognizing that chemical contaminants are one of the key threats facing Canada’s endangered whale populations, the Government of Canada continues its actions to reduce the presence of chemical contaminants. On October 13, 2018, the Government published a Notice of Intent to amend the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012. The amendments will strengthen controls for two flame retardants and three oil and water repellents, and will prohibit two additional flame retardants should the final scientific risk assessments confirm they are toxic. The government is modernizing the Coast Guard’s current suite of emergency response assets. Contracts have been awarded for the procurement of environmental response training software, curtain booms, fence booms, a medium-size portable multi-cassette-skimmer package, and a small high-speed sweep system. Transport Canada is also modernizing its emergency response capacity and has trained more than 2,148 people in the internationally recognized Incident Command System to ensure interoperability, role clarity and overall emergency response effectiveness. In 2018, close to $1 million in funding was announced for four Arctic Indigenous communities to buy search and rescue capable boats and/or equipment to strengthen their participation in marine emergency responses in local waters as members of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. In November 2018, six new RADAR installations for monitoring marine traffic on the West Coast were announced. These installations will increase the coverage range, enhancing the ability to monitor vessel traffic which contributes to ensuring safer movement of vessels in the waters off southern British Columbia. The Coastal Restoration Fund helps rehabilitate some of Canada's most vulnerable coastlines and protect marine life and ecosystems and is providing $75 million over five years to support coastal habitat restoration projects at the local and community level along Canada’s coasts. During its initial call for proposals the program received 163 expressions of interest requesting over $310 million in funding. At present the program has allocated funding to 39 projects on all three coasts worth over $55 million. The last next public call for proposals for the remaining $13.6 million closed December 27, 2018. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is currently assessing and prioritizing projects. It is anticipated that the project review will be completed by early winter 2019. The Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping Initiative held a multi stakeholder workshop in February 2019 in collaboration with Indigenous Nations from all three coasts, federal, provincial and territorial governments, marine industry stakeholders, environmental non-government organizations and representatives from various academic institutions. The purpose of the workshop was to share the results of an assessment methodology evaluation, gather input from practitioners across the country and provide an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships and learning. To enhance the ability to mount an effective science-based federal response that minimizes environmental damage, Environment and Climate Change Canada has, since January 2018, placed three Environmental Emergency Officers on each coast (Pacific and Atlantic) as well as Wildlife Emergency Response Coordinators in four regions in Canada (i.e., Pacific, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic). The Department has also put in place two new Enforcement Officers in the Atlantic region and two in the Pacific and Yukon region. These Enforcement Officers will work to ensure compliance with Canada’s Wildlife and environmental protection laws. In 2017, following discussions and consultation with various stakeholders to determine marine weather information needs/gaps, in addition to considering relevant monitoring rationalization data, Environment and Climate Change Canada identified specific High Risk Marine Areas, which informed the decision to moor up to five new weather buoys in two locations on the West Coast (Southern Georgia Strait and approaching the Port of Metro Vancouver) and two locations on the East Coast (Strait of Canso and Bay of Fundy). These new buoys will help provide mariners with enhanced forecast information. Environment and Climate Change Canada is continuing work to initiate a modern data management and geospatial mapping solution to improve the availability, accessibility, interoperability and governance of environmental sensitivities data and mapping needed by responding organizations during preparedness, readiness and response activities. Activities underway include stakeholder consultations, the development of a business case, project charter and a project complexity risk assessment. In order to enhance risk-based planning for and decision-making during an environmental emergency, Environment and Climate Change Canada has continued to collect baseline data on the northern coast of British Columbia. To date, there have been ongoing research and monitoring activities such as: identifying areas of importance, including migration routes, staging areas, and foraging habitats for marine birds via tracking studies and at-sea surveys; assessing the toxicity of oil sands bitumen to birds; and, high-definition shoreline mapping and classification (over 7 000 km of coastal aerial imagery has been collected over the Northern Shelf Bioregion). Seabird species that may be particularly vulnerable to oil have also been identified for priority study. This work is done in collaboration with multiple First Nations on their traditional territories. In addition, to support this work, the Department has put in place two Wildlife Technicians, and one Marine Modeller. The overall results of this work will help fill data gaps and contribute to several objectives of the overall Oceans Protection Plan such as Regional Response Planning.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.