Canada Makes Major Investment in Marine Safety as Ship Traffic Grows

Canada is committing C$1.2 billion (USD $843 million) to ocean protection and marine safety as the federal government prepares for a significant increase in commercial vessel traffic tied to new energy, LNG and port projects.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the package Tuesday in British Columbia, saying the government plans to expand marine traffic monitoring, search and rescue capabilities, spill response and environmental protections as Canada builds out its West Coast trade infrastructure.

A major part of the investment — more than C$740 million over four years — will support marine safety and conservation programs, including expanded Canadian Coast Guard capabilities.

The Coast Guard will increase capacity at its Marine Communications and Traffic Services centers, strengthen maritime domain awareness and vessel traffic management, expand VHF radio and radar coverage in areas with limited coverage, and add marine response capabilities at existing search and rescue stations.

The spending is aimed in part at what the government described as significant projected growth in shipping associated with energy, LNG, port and resource-development projects along the British Columbia coast.

The announcement comes as Canada pushes ahead with major new export infrastructure. Carney specifically pointed to expansion at the Port of Vancouver and the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project as developments expected to bring additional ship traffic to the West Coast. The government also announced a final investment decision this week for the second phase of LNG Canada in Kitimat.

Carney described the policy as a “protect while we build” approach, linking the marine-safety investment to Ottawa’s broader effort to expand trade and energy infrastructure.

The package will also fund a new high-resolution nearshore ocean forecasting system intended to provide better information on currents and other conditions during marine emergencies. Environment and Climate Change Canada will develop new recovery tools for ship-source pollution incidents, including spills involving hazardous and noxious substances and other commercial chemicals.

Transport Canada, meanwhile, will replace aging digital systems used for cargo inspections, port state control, domestic vessel oversight and seafarer certification. The government said the new system will integrate marine data and improve risk analysis, enforcement and regulatory services.

Another C$136 million over four years is being directed toward marine-life protection, including an expanded marine mammal spill-response program and measures addressing underwater noise from shipping.

Transport Canada will establish a Quiet Vessel Technology Fund intended to move commercially available noise-reduction technologies into wider use, with an initial focus on ferries and tugs operating in the Salish Sea. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will also establish a program to monitor underwater noise and its effects on marine mammals in the Arctic as vessel traffic associated with major projects increases.

An additional C$186 million will support Indigenous-led conservation and marine-management programs, including expansion of the Northern Shelf Bioregion Reconciliation Framework Agreement and work in the Lower Fraser River and estuary.

The spending builds on Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, launched in 2016 and renewed in 2022. The program covers marine incident prevention and response, pollution preparedness, hazardous and abandoned vessels, navigation safety and measures intended to reduce the effects of commercial shipping on marine ecosystems.

Ottawa said it expects vessel traffic to increase substantially on Canada’s coasts over the coming decades, putting additional pressure on the country’s existing marine safety and emergency-response network.

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