TANKER SHIP SAFETY IN CANADA
REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS

Canada is a world leader in its approach towards eradicating substandard shipping.

With the longest coastline of any single country in the world, Canada sees about 20,000 oil tanker movements each year. Of these, 17,000 occur on Canada’s east coast. In 2000, 29 million tonnes of crude petroleum and 2 million tonnes of fuel oil were imported into Canada on tankers. Tankers also carried 9.9 million tonnes of crude oil and 9.2 million tonnes of fuel oil in the domestic trade.

Transport Canada regulations and standards, under the Canada Shipping Act, combined with international regulations established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), provide the framework for the department’s comprehensive marine safety inspection and enforcement programs.

Under Canada's Port State Control program, Transport Canada inspectors board and inspect foreign ships at Canadian ports, including tankers. The international Port State Control agreements to which Canada is a member require Transport Canada to subject 25 per cent of all visiting vessels to a Port State Control inspection. Under Port State Control, all vessels, including tankers, are inspected at least once every six months by marine authorities in a participating Port State Control nation. Vessels that do not meet safety standards are detained until their deficiencies have been corrected. Transport Canada’s policy is to inspect all foreign tankers upon their first visit to Canada and at least once a year thereafter. This policy is over and above the responsibilities in the Port State Control program.

A specific Transport Canada program, known as Ships of Particular Interest, targets certain foreign ships banned from entering Paris Memoranda member ports before they arrive in Canada. The program involves reviewing past incident reports, and the quality of ships as assessed by third parties (i.e. foreign governments, pilots, crews, etc), allowing Transport Canada to target its inspection on vessels that are more likely not to meet safety standards and regulations. This program, combined with Canada’s Port State Control program, has been highly effective in discouraging substandard ships from coming to Canada.

All vessel operators must contact the ECAREG with information on their ship, cargo and destination, and to report any safety deficiencies 24 hours before entering Canadian waters. This provides time for the to review and to refuse entry to any vessel that could pose a risk to Canadian waters.

In 1993, Transport Canada established regulations under the Canada Shipping Act requiring any tanker built or receiving substantial modifications after 1993 be double hulled to operate in Canadian waters. Tankers that are not double hulled will be gradually phased out of operating in Canadian waters by 2015, beginning with older and larger vessels. These regulations are harmonized with U.S. regulations (Oil Pollution Act of 1990) and international regulations established by the IMO.

Transport Canada also has regulations to enhance the safety of Canadian vessels, including tankers. These regulations state specific standards for the building and maintenance of these vessels and for the training of the crew. Vessel operators are also required to maintain a safe speed and consider factors such as visibility, traffic density and weather conditions.

In addition, there are programs in place to oversee and monitor the safe movement of vessels in Canadian waters. Mandatory pilotage zones are in place where traffic density and hazards warrant. Operators are required to take on board a marine pilot with local knowledge before entering a harbour or busy waterway - such as the Placentia Bay, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Vessels operating in Canadian waters designated for vessel traffic services are monitored and guided by the Canadian Coast Guard’s Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centres. The Government of Canada is also taking steps to increase surveillance and tracking of marine traffic including "near-real-time" identification and tracking of vessels in Canadian waters by implementing mandatory automatic identification systems (AIS).

Transport Canada establishes and enforces all above regulations and programs in close cooperation with other departments and agencies including Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the International Maritime Organization. Should safety deficiencies or non-compliance be identified as a result of these programs, enforcement action is taken against the vessel owner or operator.

The Government of Canada remains committed to marine safety and enforcement activities to reduce and eliminate ship source marine pollution in Canadian waters.

May 2006