Transport Canada announces funding to address underwater vessel noise impacts on marine mammals

September 25, 2025

The Government of Canda recognizes that underwater vessel noise can have a significant impact on marine mammals, including endangered species such as the Southern Resident killer whale.

Transport Canada’s Quiet Vessel Initiative provides funding to Indigenous communities along the Trans Mountain Expansion Project marine shipping route to support Indigenous-led work toward the goal of vessel quieting in traditional territories. Seven Indigenous communities will receive funding to build their scientific capacity and expertise to measure and monitor the local impacts of underwater vessel noise.

Projects include:

• T’Sou-ke Nation: $400,000 – The project aims to deliver an integrated system of shore-based, and vessel mounted hydrophones to measure underwater noise levels, identify vessels through photo and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, identify the highest underwater noise intensity sources and monitor and assess, where possible, any Southern Resident killer whale/vessel interactions and their impacts on whale behaviour.
• Tsartlip First Nation: $397,375 – The project aims to support multi-year community-based monitoring of vessel noise, study of its impacts, increased community awareness of the sonic environment of the Saanich Inlet, and increased capacity among Tsartlip members to undertake environmental monitoring. In addition, the project will create new knowledge about the underwater acoustic profile of different types of vessels—recreational, commercial, and large container—and their cumulative impact on the overall sonic environment of the Inlet.
• Malahat Nation: $398,658 – The project aims to enhance the community’s understanding of the underwater acoustic impacts of Automatic Identification System (AIS) and non-AIS vessels by incorporating cameras and radio-links at hydrophone shore stations and providing the community with access to real-time whale localization and noise metrics through a dashboard.
• Penelakut Tribe: $400,000 – The project aims to support the establishment of a community acoustic monitoring program to build a comprehensive dataset of underwater noise in the region, and its impacts on the environment. The project will combine the community’s traditional knowledge and modern technologies, and the knowledge and data gathered will help drive future initiatives within the community, enable the community to advance their regional environmental directives, and to protect valued ecological components as well provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and collaboration with surrounding communities.
• Stz'uminus First Nation: $400,000 – This project aims to significantly enhance Stz’uminus First Nation’s capacity in marine acoustics, enabling full participation in regional activities related to the assessment and reduction of underwater vessel noise. The project will equip Stz’uminus First Nation with technology and training for data collection, processing, and analysis, enabling the Nation to conduct a Nation-led acoustic monitoring program in the traditional territory.
• Snuneymuxw First Nation: $400,000 – The project aims to support the collection of data from regional shipping activities, and marine mammal detection data using advanced hydrophone arrays and autonomous surface vessels. The goal of the project is to fill data gaps about the impacts of underwater noise on the group’s territorial marine environment, support community training, and the procurement of Information Technology equipment needed for acoustic data management.
• Halalt First Nation: $400,000 – The project aims to support a comprehensive study of underwater noise in proximity to anchorages situated within the marine territory of Halalt First Nation. The project will deploy a vessel-towed hydrophone array and provide training in data collection and analysis to community members.