Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new details on the federal government’s $3.5 billion plan to protect the oceans.
In its latest budget, the government pledged to add $2 billion over nine years to the $1.5 billion already earmarked for ocean protection.
At a news conference in British Columbia on Tuesday, Trudeau said the government has now launched an expanded version of the Oceans Protection Plan.
“We will take action to combat new threats to our security and our maritime ecosystems, and we will strengthen partnerships with Indigenous peoples,” said Mr. Trudeau.
What he calls Oceans Protection Plan 2.0 “is about moving forward with bold new actions with partners coast to coast to protect and restore our oceans,” he explained. .
More than 50 initiatives have been implemented since the plan’s inception in 2016. For example, the government has reopened key incident response centres, such as the Canadian Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and removed and disposed of hundreds of derelict boats.
In addition, steps have been taken to protect species at risk, including the southern resident killer whale, and to fund initiatives for the protection of the North Atlantic right whale. The new funds aim to expand these efforts to more regions.
Trudeau says the new version of the plan aims to keep oceans and coasts healthy, advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and build a clean future for future generations.
He maintains that “we are lucky” to have so many natural spaces in Canada and that “we have a responsibility to take care of them”.
“The federal government before us was closing Coast Guard stations, underinvesting, ignoring any kind of partnership with Indigenous peoples and firing scientists,” Trudeau said.
He said his government was doubling down on the original plan for the oceans and that it would be “broad and deep”.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said while marine protection work has continued since the oceans plan was announced, conditions have changed.
“The world has changed in the past two years. The pandemic, climate change, innovations in the maritime industry and challenges in the supply chain are affecting the marine environment,” he specified.
That is why the plan is being expanded to cover new areas, including making maritime traffic safer, keeping supply chains healthy and improving the response to oil spills, Alghabra said.
Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard Minister Joyce Murray said the government will work “in partnership with Indigenous peoples and coastal communities to protect Canada’s mariners, waterways and shores today.” today and for generations to come. »
Survey
A public opinion poll of 2,700 people revealed limited awareness of maritime safety, including shipping practices in Canada and environmental protection.
The federally commissioned poll showed that 70-82% of respondents believe protecting the marine environment is important. This number is even higher for those living in coastal communities, according to the survey by Ekos Research Associates.
Among the main elements of the Oceans Protection Plan considered important by those interviewed is the strengthening of polluter-pays principles to ensure that companies take responsibility for spills.
Improving pollution control, the protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems and the protection of endangered whale species are also important aspects for those surveyed.
The results suggest greater confidence in the plan than in the overall maritime security system. About 60% of those who took part in the survey said they were convinced that the plan would have a positive impact on the environment and marine species.
However, only 30% of respondents said they are confident in the timeliness of oil spill response under the Canadian system and only 20% believe the plan ensures that industrial polluters will be forced to pay or affected communities will be compensated.
The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 1.9%.