Government of Canada to reduce local marine traffic issues through the Oceans Protection Plan

OTTAWA, Nov. 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada has the world's longest coastline, and our water is one of our most important resources. Canadians across the country rely on marine transportation to go about their everyday life or to deliver products to market in a safe and responsible way.

As we marked the one-year anniversary of Canada's $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan earlier this month?the largest investment ever made to protect Canada's coasts and waterways?the Government of Canada is pleased to announce that $1.9 million is being dedicated over three years to reduce local marine traffic issues.

The Proactive Vessel Management initiative will help address local marine traffic issues by identifying where local management actions could reduce conflicts between marine users or minimize environmental impacts, such as routing and speed controls. The Government of Canada will work with coastal communities, Indigenous peoples, industry, provincial and municipal governments, and non-governmental organizations to develop a framework to guide how these conflicts are managed. This new action will allow Canada's marine shipping industry to be better equipped for safe and responsible passage, and better prepared to protect the marine environment and coastal communities in times of emergency.

The Oceans Protection Plan is creating a world-leading marine safety system, while preserving our ecosystems, creating strong Indigenous partnerships and engaging coastal communities, and investing in research to ensure decisions are evidence based.

Quick Facts

• Coastal communities and Indigenous peoples have expressed strong interest in playing a greater role in the design and delivery of the marine safety system in their local waterways, particularly with respect to the movement of commercial vessels.
• The framework will be evaluated through a number of pilot projects in targeted areas.
• Proactive Vessel Management will support the Oceans Protection Plan Anchorages initiative by providing a venue for local communities to identify potential anchorage spots.
• The Government of Canada has already announced more than $450 million under the Oceans Protection Plan.

Quotes
"Our Government has taken another step towards building a world-leading marine safety system that provides economic opportunities for Canadians today, while also protecting our environment and coastlines for the future. Reducing local marine traffic issues will help ensure marine shipping in Canada is safe, responsible and better prepared to protect the marine environment and coastal communities."
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Associated Links

• Protecting our Coasts - Oceans Protection Plan
• Community Participation Funding Program
• Let's Talk ? Oceans Protection Plan

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SOURCE Transport Canada