Ministers announce Canada's Oceans Protection Plan in Eastern Canada

November 7, 2016 – St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador) / Halifax (Nova Scotia) Government of Canada

Every day, Canadians across the country rely on transportation to get to work, bring their children to school, and ship their products to market. The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the country's marine environment by ensuring goods are imported and exported in a safe and responsible way.

Today, in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced a $1.5 billion national Oceans Protection Plan.

The Plan improves marine safety and responsible shipping, protects Canada's marine environment, and creates stronger partnerships with Indigenous and coastal communities. The plan meets or exceeds international standards and is supported by commitments to Indigenous co-management, environmental protections, and science-based standards.

As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, the following initiatives were announced:

• The re-opening of the Maritime Rescue Sub-centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. This rescue centre provides regional capacity to facilitate effective operational coordination and response to all-hazard marine incidents.
• The construction of two new Canadian Coast Guard lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador areas to improve search and rescue.
• The refurbishment of the Canadian Coast Guard St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, lifeboat station.
• The building of two new radars in Atlantic Canada – one to be installed in the Strait of Belle Isle area, and the second one in Chedabucto, Nova Scotia.
• Increased domestic and international scientific collaboration on oil spill response through investments for Fisheries and Oceans Canada's world-leading Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
• Continued investment in response planning for the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, and the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, including bringing together baseline biology, ecology, social, cultural, and economic data.
• Improved timely availability of science-based expertise during incidents by placing additional emergency and enforcement officers in Atlantic Canada.
• Increased marine safety information for mariners and improving hydrography, charting, and e-navigation products, including for the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick.
• Investment in research to support new and refined oceanographic oil spill trajectory models, including for the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, and the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick.
• Learning how to better protect marine mammals from shipping-related threats.
• The launch of a comprehensive plan to address abandoned, derelict and wrecked vessels, including making vessel owners responsible and liable for vessel clean-up.

Moving forward, Canada will be better equipped, better regulated, and better prepared to protect marine environment and coastal communities, achieving a world-leading marine safety system. These new measures will contribute to Canadians and to growing the middle-class.

Quotes

Related Products

• Backgrounders:
  • A world-leading marine safety system that protects Canada's coasts
  • Preserving and restoring Canada's marine ecosystems
  • Creating stronger Indigenous partnerships and engaging coastal communities
  • Oceans Protection Plan: What it means for Canada's regions

Associated Links

• The Prime Minister of Canada announces the National Oceans Protection Plan
• tc.gc.ca/eng/oceans-protection-plan.html
• The Oceans Protection Plan

Contacts