Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Region work with various
advisory groups to determine the impacts that program changes
have on the way stakeholders use its services. Coast Guard
solicits feedback to assist in the development of the
strategic direction and the applicability and quality of the
services that CG Maritime Services provides.
The Canadian
Coast Guard Maritime Services Regional Director is responsible
for the overall direction of the Local Marine Advisory
Councils (LMACS)
The LMACs were
established in 1996 to improve the relationship between the
Coast Guard and the communities at the local level.
The LMACs are a permanent
forum made up of volunteers representing stakeholders in six
local geographic areas. Wherever practicable, the councils
include recreational boaters, fishers, First Nations, and
commercial users in the forum who have a stake in the services
provided by CG. The purpose of the LMAC is to provide a forum
where CCG can receive advice and input from stakeholders on
relevant local maritime issues concerning the delivery of CG
maritime services. The Council is invited to make
recommendations for consideration by Coast Guard management
regarding programs and services in their respective local
geographic area.
The Assistant
Commissioner for the Canadian Coast Guard participates as a
CCG advisor to the Western Marine Community
http://www.bcmarine.org/wmc/
The Western
Marine Community (WMC) “is a broad based coalition
of organizations and
individuals who share common perceptions of the essential
needs for the well being of maritime activity, commercial or
recreational”. The Mission of the WMC is “to provide a
coordinated forum to promote the growth and development of
the Marine Community with regard to socio-economic, safety and
other pertinent issues”. The WMC was
established as an ad hoc group in the fall of 1995 in response
to Coast Guard’s announcement of the Marine Services Fee and
the formation of the MAB. As a result the WMC administers and
collects the fees for the Coast Guard through a not for profit
society, the Western Marine Community Association. (WMC
2003 Annual Report. p.12. Retrieved from:
http://www.bcmarine.org/~bcmarine/wmc/pdf/AnnualReport.pdf).
The Maritime
Services directorate provides information to, and participates
actively in the Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel (PACMAR) and
Navaids and
Navigational Aids
sub-committee (NANS)
PACMAR was formed in the summer
of 1995 as a sub-committee to the Western Marine Community
Coalition.
PACMAR “continues
to meet on a monthly basis with representatives from all
sectors of Marine Users. In keeping with its mandate PACMAR
liaises with Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada and from
time-to-time with the US Coast Guard on matters related to
Aids to Navigation and Safety of Mariners and the waterways”
(WMC 2003
Annual Report. p.9. Retrieved from:
http://www.bcmarine.org/~bcmarine/wmc/pdf/AnnualReport.pdf).
One of the roles of PACMAR is
to monitor the quality of services provided by CCG. In order
to effectively address issues in depth, the Navaids and
Navigational Aids
sub-committee
(NANS) is active and
meets monthly to review the use and need of floating and fixed
navigational aids.
The Maritime Services
directorate provides information to, and participates in the
following Transport Canada advisory groups:
The
Recreational Boating Advisory Council (RBAC) provides
Transport Canada with advice on all matters related to the
safety of recreational boaters, the safe operation of
recreational boats, the safe and environmentally friendly use
of recreational waterways and any other issue of interest.
The Regional Canadian
Marine Advisory Council (RCMAC) is a forum for
consultation with and information sharing among marine
community stakeholders on matters of safety, navigation, and
marine pollution. CMAC is
coordinated and chaired by senior members of Transport
Canada,
Safety and Security.
In the council, membership includes commercial shippers,
fishers, recreational boaters, unions, federal departments and
other levels of government. This Committee meets in plenary
twice each year and provides input to the national Council.
Sub-committees work as required year-round.
The
Regional Advisory Council on Oil Spill Response (RAC)
provides a regional forum for those involved in and impacted
by marine oil spills and spill response activities.
Recommendations are made on issues related to improving spill
response capability within the Pacific Region, in order to
safeguard public interest and minimize environmental impacts.
The
Marine Chemicals Emergencies Working Group was formed
to provide advice on approaches for implementing a Marine
Chemical Emergency Response regime. This group provides an
opportunity to build an environmental protection regime that
minimizes the need for regulation and maximizes voluntary
participation and compliance. The group will continue to make
recommendations to national headquarters as work progresses.