O
OCEANS PROTECTION PLAN
by Transport Canada
32 JUNE/JULY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com
The Oceans PrOTecTiOn
Canada's new direction to protect its coasts
S
ince this accident occurred,
in spite of an increase in ma-
rine shipping, there has been
a downward global trend in
numbers of large oil spills
(i.e. greater than 700 tonnes) from tank-
ers annually. Even with this strong record
of safety, Canada – known for its natural
wonders and featuring the world's lon-
gest coastline – decided more needed to
be done. That is why the Government of
Canada has launched the Oceans Protec-
tion Plan, the largest investment ($1.5 bil-
lion) ever made to protect Canada's coasts
and waterways.
Announced by Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau on November 7, 2016, the Plan
was born out of collaboration – the fed-
eral government asked Canadians directly
and, together with other stakeholders and
Indigenous Groups, developed innovative
approaches to raise the bar on marine pro-
tection.
Through the Oceans Protection Plan,
Canada's new direction on marine safety
now includes four priority areas:
• Creating a world-leading marine safety
system;
• Protecting and restoring Canada's ma-
rine ecosystems;
• Strengthening partnerships with coastal
and Indigenous communities;
• Investing in science for decision-making.
Over the next five years, more than 50 ini-
tiatives associated with these priority areas
are being launched under the Plan. They
will include faster response to oil spills,
removing abandoned boats across the
country, reducing vessel noise to protect
whales, exploring new ways to work to-
gether with Indigenous communities, and
When the Exxon Valdez oil
tanker struck a reef in Alaska
and spilled 44,000 tonnes of
oil in 1989, everything changed
for marine safety around
the world. The international
marine community worked
together to rewrite the rules
to enhance ship safety and
spill response while ensuring
that industry paid for
cleanup costs.
