Canada issued a bulletin outlining new measures to strengthen Canadian discharge requirements for cruise ships operating in waters under Canadian jurisdiction during the 2022 cruise season.
These measures aim to help restore marine habitats, further protect Canadian waters, and set the foundation for a regulatory posture in 2023.
The bulletin applies to the authorized representatives of cruise ships (certified to carry more than 100 persons and equipped with overnight accommodations) that are Canadian vessels or foreign vessels operating in waters under Canadian jurisdiction during the 2022 cruise season.
What you need to know
For the 2022 cruise ship season, cruise ships will be subject to new non-mandatory environmental measures. These are:
- Prohibiting the discharge of greywater and sewage within three nautical miles from shore where geographically possible;
- Treating greywater together with sewage before it is discharged between three and twelve nautical miles from shore to the greatest extent possible;
- Strengthening the treatment of sewage between three and twelve nautical miles from shore using an approved treatment device.
Reporting
The authorized representative of a cruise ship operating in waters under Canadian jurisdiction must also provide periodic reports outlining their compliance to Transport Canada. Reports are due on the following dates:
- June 5, August 5, October 5, and December 5, 2022
Transport Canada will continue to inspect cruise ships during the 2022 season. It will also check the level of implementation of the new environmental measures and compliance with existing regulatory requirements.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
This information will support future regulations to control discharges from cruise ships in waters under Canadian jurisdiction.
The authorized representative of a cruise ship operating in waters under Canadian jurisdiction should implement the new environmental measures where safely, technically, and geographically possible.
When a cruise ship is unable to implement the new environmental measures, the authorized representative must make sure to meet current regulatory requirements. Cruise ships must make all relevant discharge information available to Transport Canada.
EXPLORE MORE AT TRANSPORT CANADA’S BULLETIN
