Canada has committed C$1.2 billion (US$843 million) to marine safety and ocean protection as new energy, LNG and port developments are expected to increase commercial shipping, gCaptain reported. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the funding in British Columbia on Tuesday, linking stronger safeguards to the expansion of West Coast trade infrastructure.
More than C$740 million will be allocated over four years to marine safety and conservation, including additional Canadian Coast Guard capacity. Planned improvements cover vessel traffic management, maritime monitoring and increased VHF radio and radar coverage where services are limited. Existing search and rescue stations will also gain marine response capacity.
The government expects substantial shipping growth from energy, LNG, port and resource projects along British Columbia’s coast. Carney highlighted expansion at the Port of Vancouver and the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 development as sources of additional vessel movements. According to gCaptain, the government also announced a final investment decision this week for LNG Canada’s second phase in Kitimat.
Emergency preparedness measures include a high-resolution coastal ocean forecasting system to improve information on currents and other conditions. Environment and Climate Change Canada will develop recovery tools for pollution from ships, including incidents involving hazardous substances and commercial chemicals. Transport Canada will replace ageing digital systems covering cargo inspections, port state control, domestic vessel oversight and seafarer certification, with the aim of improving data integration, risk analysis and enforcement.
A further C$136 million over four years will support marine-life protection, including expanded spill response for marine mammals and action on underwater shipping noise. A new Quiet Vessel Technology Fund will encourage adoption of commercially available noise-reduction equipment, initially targeting Salish Sea ferries and tugs. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will monitor underwater noise and its effects on Arctic marine mammals.
Another C$186 million is earmarked for Indigenous-led conservation and marine management, including work in the Lower Fraser River and estuary. The commitments build on the Oceans Protection Plan, introduced in 2016 and renewed in 2022. Ottawa expects rising coastal vessel traffic over the coming decades to place greater demands on its marine safety and emergency-response network.