Government of Canada expands aerial surveillance program to detect illegal discharges from ships in the arctic

News Release

No. H163/05
For release July 19, 2005

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with Environment
Minister Stéphane Dion and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan, today
announced that existing aerial surveillance programs related to icebreaking in
the Arctic will be expanded to also detect illegal discharges from ships.
"Using the Government of Canada’s existing resources in the Arctic to detect
discharges from ships just makes sense," said Mr. Lapierre. "This will be the
first time that aerial pollution patrols are conducted in the Arctic and we are
eager to work with our Environment Canada and Canadian Coast Guard colleagues to
make this joint initiative successful."
The pollution surveillance patrols will be conducted on a trial basis to
determine if a more concentrated surveillance can further enhance compliance
with the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act and regulations. This
initiative also aims to deter mariners in the Arctic from intentional discharges
and assist response and clean-up efforts in the event of any pollution
incidents.
Transport Canada conducts aerial pollution patrols over Canada’s major
shipping routes in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, throughout the Gulf of St.
Lawrence and in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system. Environment
Canada conducts ice reconnaissance flights on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard
which is responsible for icebreaking activities in the Arctic.
"We have observed an increase in shipping and oil drilling and exploration
activities in the past few years," said Mr. Dion. "Environment Canada is
confident that expanding the surveillance activities during ice reconnaissance
flights will help to enhance the protection of our Arctic marine environment.
This is another initiative designed to protect our waters and the species that
depend on its integrity."
"This past winter, the Canadian Coast Guard and Environment Canada worked
closely with Transport Canada to conduct ice reconnaissance activities during
Transport Canada’s pollution patrols over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the
East Coast of Canada," said Mr. Regan. "We look forward to further combining our
efforts to make the most efficient use of our patrols in protecting the marine
environment, while helping to ensure safety at sea."
The expanded patrols will run until the end of the Arctic-shipping season in
early October. Future Arctic pollution patrols will be determined after an
assessment of this summer’s operations has been conducted.

- 30 -
Contacts:
Irène Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Phil Jenkins
Manager, Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa
(613) 990-7537
Marie-Josée Dubois
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Douglas Woods
Communications
Environment Canada, Gatineau
(819) 997-3846
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date
on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with
visual disabilities.

Search for related information by keyword

Transport Canada Transport

Page details

2016-12-15

We have archived this page and will not be updating it.

We have archived this page and will not be updating it.

Government of Canada expands aerial surveillance program to detect illegal discharges from ships in the arctic

News Release

Page details