No. H 185/07
For release October 5, 2007

CANADA'S NEW GOVERNMENT TAKES ACTION
TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEANS

MONT-JOLI, QUEBEC — The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced a five-year commitment by Canada's New Government to the Health of the Oceans Initiative.

"Canada's New Government is committed to protecting Canada's marine environment," said Minister Cannon. "Over the next five years, our government will invest more than $60 million in initiatives which will bring tangible improvements to the health of our oceans and the economic health of our coastal communities. Transport Canada will invest $23.85 million under this initiative. Canada's New Government is adding $42.5 million to the $19.0 million announced in Budget 2007 for Canada's National Water Strategy."

With its allocated funds, our Government protects Canada's waterways from ship-source pollution by:

1. Enforcing ballast water regulations to protect Canada's marine ecosystems from the risk posed by invasive aquatic species ($4.5 million over five years).
2. Increasing the capacity of the National Aerial Surveillance Program to detect oil spills, gather evidence to prosecute polluters and act as a deterrent to potential polluters ($13 million over five years).
3. Outfitting Transport Canada's Dash 7 Surveillance Aircraft with a Maritime Surveillance System for use in Canada's Arctic in order to track and identify polluters and gather prosecution information — in all weather and during hours of darkness, when many illegal discharges occur ($5 million over three years).
4. Co-leading an international Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment to assess and predict marine shipping uses and activities, and the impacts of changing marine traffic.
5. Researching implementation of a Ship Waste Reduction Strategy ($800,000 over five years) to further prevent marine pollution from ships.

"Today's announcement is just one part of Canada's New Government's strategy to improve the health of the oceans. Initiatives under the responsibilities of other departments will be announced in the coming days," added Minister Cannon.

A backgrounder with more information on the Transport Canada Health of the Oceans initiatives is attached.

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BACKGROUNDER

HEALTH OF THE OCEANS INITIATIVES AT TRANSPORT CANADA

Canada's New Government strengthened its commitment to the National Water Strategy it announced in Budget 2007 by increasing its investment to $61.5 million over five years. These Health of the Oceans funds are dedicated to protecting fragile marine ecosystems and Canada's ocean resources for coastal communities. The money will be distributed to five federal departments and agencies – Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Parks Canada Agency and Transport Canada.

Funding to Transport Canada

A total of $23.85 million of the Health of the Oceans funding has been allocated to Transport Canada over five years, for initiatives that will bring tangible improvements to the marine environment of Canada's three oceans. Transport Canada is using these funds to protect Canada's waterways from ship source pollution. Strategies include:

• Enforcing new Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations

  Scientific evidence suggests that ships discharging untreated ballast water can introduce harmful organisms and pathogens to vulnerable ecosystems. Over the next five years, $4.5 million will be used to enforce the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations, which require ships to manage ballast in ways that reduce the risk posed by invasive aquatic species.

  Specifically, the funding will be used to increase the number of marine inspectors enforcing ballast water regulations, to support the development of technologies to better address ballast water issues, and to equip our marine inspectors with the proper tools to enforce the ballast water regulations.

• Improving aerial surveillance

  Aerial surveillance is a proven tool in combatting ship-source marine pollution. For example, during fiscal year 2006-2007, Transport Canada conducted 1,649 hours of dedicated productive pollution patrol. This resulted in detecting 98 marine pollution incidents from the 10,063 vessels flown over. Transport Canada forecasts 2,000 flying hours this year.

  Plans to improve Transport Canada's aerial surveillance program include:

  • Investing $13 million over five years to increase the capacity of the National Aerial Surveillance Program to:
    • increase the frequency of patrols and area of coverage to locations not normally patrolled on a dedicated basis, such as the Arctic. This will result in Canada having all three oceans protected with a similar capability.
    • protect the marine environment from the adverse effects of shipping by enforcing the pollution prevention regulations in all waters under Canadian jurisdiction.
    • establish a greater presence over Canadian waterways that will deter potential polluters.

  • Investing $5 million over three years to modernize Transport Canada's Dash 7 Surveillance Aircraft with a maritime surveillance system. This aircraft will conduct surveillance operations in Canada's Arctic during the shipping season and over Canada's Great Lakes during the remainder of the year. The aircraft will be capable of operating in all weather conditions and during hours of darkness or reduced visibility. Transport Canada plans to conduct 25 to 30 per cent of its pollution patrols during hours of darkness, as this is when many illegal discharges are expected to occur.

• Co-leading the International Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment

  Canada, Finland and the United States are co-leading the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA). Transport Canada is Canada's lead. The assessment will study traditional marine activity and commercial shipping activity, and related social, economic and environmental impacts. This will be used to assess current impacts, as well as predicting future marine shipping uses and activities and the impacts of changing marine traffic in the Arctic.

  The AMSA is also expected to lead to:

  • a greater understanding of Aboriginal Arctic marine resource use;
  • a greater understanding of the social, economic and environmental impacts from changing shipping patterns on northern and aboriginal communities,

  • an improved understanding of the adequacy of existing requirements and the need for additional rules for protecting the Arctic marine environment from ship activity.

• Introducing a Ship Waste Reduction Strategy

  Transport Canada will invest $800,000 over five years to develop and implement a Ship Waste Reduction Strategy to further prevent marine pollution from ships. Transport Canada recognizes the importance of having adequate facilities on shore to receive waste generated by ships.

Transport Canada is serious about its role in preventing pollution. The investments being made with Health of the Oceans funds actively support the goals of the Government of Canada by targeting the protection of Canadian waters from ship source pollution.

Visit http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/backgrounders/b07-M006.htm or the Canadian Marine Advisory Council website at www.cmac-ccmc.gc.ca to learn more about regulations dealing with environmental protection or the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 reform.

October 2007