Canada has committed C$1.2 billion (US$843 million) to marine safety and ocean protection as new LNG, energy 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 coastal safeguards with the federal government’s trade infrastructure expansion.
More than C$740 million will be allocated over four years to marine safety and conservation, including additional Canadian Coast Guard capacity. The measures cover upgrades to Marine Communications and Traffic Services centres, stronger vessel traffic management and maritime monitoring, wider VHF radio and radar coverage in underserved areas, and extra response capabilities at existing search and rescue stations.
The government expects substantial shipping growth from energy, LNG, port and resource projects along British Columbia’s coast. Carney highlighted the Port of Vancouver’s expansion and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 as sources of additional vessel movements. According to gCaptain, the government also announced a final investment decision this week for the second phase of LNG Canada at Kitimat.
Emergency preparedness spending includes a high-resolution coastal ocean forecasting system to improve information on currents and other conditions during incidents. Environment and Climate Change Canada will develop recovery tools for pollution from ships, including releases of hazardous and noxious 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 assessment and enforcement.
A further C$136 million over four years will support marine-life protection, including broader marine mammal spill response and action on underwater noise. Transport Canada’s planned 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 also establish Arctic monitoring of underwater noise and its effects on marine mammals.
Indigenous-led conservation and marine management will receive another C$186 million, supporting expansion of the Northern Shelf Bioregion Reconciliation Framework Agreement and work in the Lower Fraser River and estuary. The funding builds on the Oceans Protection Plan, introduced in 2016 and renewed in 2022, as Ottawa anticipates increasing pressure on coastal safety and emergency-response services over the coming decades.