Marc Garneau, the Canadian Minister of Transport, announced that under the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada will launch pilot projects for the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness initiative and will invest in measures to reduce the underwater noise impacting Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Canada’s coasts are home to precious ecosystems. The Government of Canada, under the Oceans Protection Plan, wants to ensure that its coasts are protected in both straightforward and transformational ways.
The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways. With this plan, Canada is creating a marine safety system that protects coasts and waterways for generations to come. This work is being done in close collaboration with Indigenous peoples, local stakeholders and coastal communities.
As part of the Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness initiative, the Haida Nation and the Gitga’at Nation will host pilot projects, starting in fall 2018 and concluding in fall 2019.
The two Nations will cooperate with Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and other federal departments to develop a new marine awareness information system. This system will provide maritime information, including near real-time data on ship traffic.
Moreover, Budget 2018 included more than $167 million to help the Government of Canada understand risks to whales, including the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale. This budget funding will allow Canada to take the next steps needed to address the impacts of human activities on Canada’s endangered whales.
