New Legislation to Increase Marine Life Protection a Great Step

The legislation, if passed, will fill the single most important gap for protecting seabirds and other marine life from bilge oil that is illegally dumped by ships into the sea. Over 300,000 seabirds are killed each year off the coast of Atlantic Canada by the illegal discharge from ships, according to WWF-Canada research. Imposed fines and enforcement efforts in Atlantic Canada have not been as effective as those of other countries along the shipping route between Europe and North America, making the Atlantic Canada coast the most economically feasible location for ship operators to dump their bilge waste.

The new legislation would give prosecutors and the courts more power to punish offenders. It would provide greater enforcement powers covering marine areas from the coast to Canada’s 200-mile jurisdiction limit. Furthermore, new higher fines will be more effective not only against ship owners but also to responsible individuals on ships.

WWF-Canada urges the Federal Government and all opposition parties to enact this legislation before the upcoming federal election call. “This legislation is needed immediately to enable government agencies to effectively enforce current legislation now,” says Dr. Robert Rangeley, Director of WWF-Canada’s Atlantic Office. “The real celebration will happen when the legislation is passed, not when it’s introduced.”

One gap that must be filled before this issue can be fully resolved is improving and enhancing surveillance of offenders at sea by the Canadian government. Some progress has been made including government funding for new satellite technology to help identify spills. “But satellites can’t arrest ships,” says Rangeley. “For that we need more ships and planes out on the water.”

Another is the need for Canadian and international shipping and cruise companies to improve their marine stewardship and conservation efforts through voluntary compliance with legislation and partnerships with government and conservation organizations. “We hope that the industry promotes the phasing out of this crime, to turn the tide from chasing and fining to cooperating on solutions,” says Rangeley.

WWF-Canada commends Environment Canada and Transport Canada for teaming up to make this happen – an excellent example of inter-agency cooperation to deliver on conservation. WWF-Canada also commends all of the other individuals, groups and especially Newfoundland residents that made this possible.

WWF-Canada is proud to have been significantly involved since 2002 in supporting research, raising awareness about this important conservation issue and advocating for its resolution. In September 2002, WWF-Canada launched a report entitled Seabirds and Atlantic Canada’s Ship-Source Oil Pollution to document the environmental costs of ship-source oil pollution and offer recommendations. A WWF-Canada advocacy campaign raised public and media awareness about the issue and pressured decision-makers to increase surveillance and legal deterrence. WWF-Canada will continue to raise awareness about this issue and implement activities to resolve the problem and conserve seabirds and other precious marine life in Atlantic Canada.