The Chamber of Shipping has released a blog post urging Canadian decision-makers to use caution when outsourcing marine risk management. Canada’s marine safety framework does not have a common national understanding of risk principles, risk tolerance, or application of risk mitigation measures and Canada currently has a complex multi-jurisdictional approach to marine safety. In the absence of a single clear authority, major project proponents that require ships to move their product are establishing their own standards, which is typically in excess of recognized industry practices and national regulatory requirements. This is especially true for marine carriers of oil, gas, and chemical products.
Moving forward with the Oceans Protection Plan, the Federal Government should refocus its effort on governance, the re-establishment of a single marine authority, the integration of programmes between Federal departments, and ensuring that Federal departments have sufficient technical expertise to execute their responsibilities. Click here to read our blog post.
