The Green Party’s call for a legislated ban on crude oil tankers along BC’s coast includes the north coast, threatened by the Enbridge pipeline and Kitimat oil port proposals, and the south coast where oil tankers carrying Athabasca tar sands crude oil currently leave Vancouver’s inner harbour through the world’s riskiest tanker passage (the Second Narrows) and plough past Stanley Park and the Gulf Islands on their way to California and China.

“One of the best kept secrets in Canada is the fact that we already have crude oil tankers passing by the largest population centers and some of the richest marine areas along BC’s coast,” stated Elizabeth May, national leader of the Green Party of Canada. “Plans to expand the operations five-fold will increase the risk even further to the people and marine ecosystems in the area.”

Since 2007, the federal government has quietly allowed up to 1.2 million barrels of tar sands crude oil to be shipped from Kinder-Morgan’s Burrard Inlet terminal in Vancouver each week. Kinder-Morgan is proposing a five-fold increase in oil tanker traffic through the region in coming years in order to service the expansion of the Alberta tar sands to access Asian and international markets.

“Developing Vancouver as a major tar sands oil port threatens everything people love about Vancouver, including its goal of becoming the greenest city in the world,” said Adriane Carr, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada and nominated candidate for Vancouver Centre.

“The West Coast of North America is recognized as having the richest, temperate marine waters on the planet, both in terms of biological diversity and productivity”, stated Ms. Carr,  “The consequences of a major oil spill would be catastrophic for our biodiversity, tourism, fisheries and our west coast quality of life. We need to protect BC’s exceptional marine environment and restrict the growth of the Athabasca Tar Sands – not create an expanded gateway to international markets for higher volumes of exports of the planet’s dirtiest oil.”

As part of the Northern Gateway project, which entails the creation of a deep sea port in Prince Rupert and the Enbridge Pipeline from the Athabasca tar sands to Kitimat in northern BC, and a potential 5-fold increase in oil tanker traffic in Vancouver’s harbour, both the federal and BC governments have been working to facilitate the transportation infrastructure to expand the Alberta tar sands. The Athabasca tar sands are considered to be the dirtiest and most carbon-intensive oil extraction megaproject on Earth.

“In the House, the Minister of Natural Resources has described the oil tanker ban as voluntary. And under cover of loose terminology, oil tanker traffic on BC’s coast is on the rise. Since they came to power in 2006, the Harper Conservatives have shown themselves to be the strongest proponents of increased oil tanker traffic and expansion of the Alberta tar sands that is driving this whole process along,” stated Elizabeth May. “We must reverse this trend with multi-partisan cooperation for a federal, legislated ban on oil tanker traffic along Canada’s entire West Coast. I will be working to mobilize the Green Party membership and approaching the other parties to see that this happens.”

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As the Member of Parliament for the area, May has been working hard towards this initiative and during her conversations with the Minister had been advised by him that this would be moving ahead.

“This is such an important initiative for the protection of biodiversity along our coastline.  It will also help us to meet our domestic and international legal commitments toward protecting our coast,”said May.  Canada has commitments to protect marine habitat under the Oceans Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act, National Marine Conservation Areas Act and the UN Convention on Biodiversity.

“Parks Canada, the Town of Sidney, the District of North Saanich, non-profits and First Nations have all played important roles in seeing this project toward fruition.  I sincerely hope this feasibility study has a positive result.  With only 0.1% of Canada’s ocean under protection, a new National Marine Protected Area is urgently needed,” said May.

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This enactment amends Part 9 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 to prohibit the transportation of oil in oil tankers in the areas of the sea adjacent to the coast of Canada known as Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound.

Preamble

Whereas the transportation of oil in oil tankers in certain areas of the sea adjacent to the coast of Canada poses a risk to the marine environment;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Canada Shipping Act, 2001

1. The Canada Shipping Act, 2001 is amended by adding the following after section 189:

Prohibition Definitions

189.1 The following definitions apply in sections 189.2 and 189.3.

“in bulk” means in a hold or tank that is part of the structure of a vessel, without any intermediate form of containment.

“oil” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act.

“oil tanker” means a vessel that is constructed or adapted primarily to transport oil in bulk.

Prohibition

189.2 (1) No person shall transport oil in an oil tanker in the areas of the sea adjacent to the coast of Canada known as Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound.

Clarification

(2) The areas of the sea referred to in subsection (1) are those areas included within Zone 3 as described in the Fishing Zones of Canada (Zones 1, 2 and 3) Order made under the Oceans Act.

For greater certainty

(3) For greater certainty, the prohibition in subsection (1) does not apply in respect of the transportation of gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel oil or fuel oil that is intended for use in coastal and island communities in Canada.

2. Subsection 191(1) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (c) and by adding the following after that paragraph:

(c.1) section 189.2 (prohibition against operation of oil tanker in specified area);

(c.2) an order made under section 189.3 (prohibition against operation of oil tanker in specified area); and

Coming into force

3. This Act comes into force 30 days after the day on which it receives royal assent.

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“Perhaps the most neglected natural areas on Earth are our marine environments,  for the simple reason that humans live on land and not under water. But  our oceans harbor most life on the planet. The Strait of Georgia in  particular has extremely diverse marine environments harboring  incredible creatures, from the endangered southern resident orcas to  glass sponges in Saanich Inlet to a phenomenal diversity of fish,  invertebrates, birds, and marine mammals throughout the region,” stated  Ms. May. “As the new Member of Parliament representing the region of the proposed Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area, I’m  hoping that the federal and provincial governments will give approval  for the establishment of this first rate marine sanctuary soon. It would be a phenomenal marine complement to the Gulf Islands National Park  Reserve.”

The BC and federal governments signed a Memorandum Of Understanding in 2003 to undertake studies on the scientific and socio-economic feasibility  of creating an NMCA in the waters stretching from the Haro Strait and  Saanich Inlet by Victoria, north to the waters around Gabriola Island  near Nanaimo.

National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs) administered by Parks Canada and  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) administered by the Department of  Fisheries and Oceans, offer protection to marine ecosystems, ranging  from restrictions on certain practices and harvesting of some species to fully-protecting all marine life in “no take” areas. Worldwide,  “no-take” MPAs have dramatically increased the populations and size of  commercial and non-commercial species. This includes increasing the net  amount of commercially available fisheries, as protected fish and  invertebrate populations inside MPA’s grow and spill over into adjacent  areas where they can be harvested. Unfortunately less than 0.01% of  Canada’s and BC’s marine waters are in fully-protected “no-take” areas.

“While BC is still blessed with productive and diverse marine environments,  today’s richness pales in comparison to the abundance of life in years  past. At one time the seas teemed with so many salmon, lingcod,  rockfish, invertebrates, birds, whales, and seals that early European  settlers thought the marine wealth to be inexhaustible. An extensive  network of real marine protection can help our oceans approach their  former biological magnificence, brimming with life to sustain all the  citizens of this country,” stated Ms. May

Parks Canada has a goal of representing each of Canada’s 29 natural marine  regions in a system of National Marine Conservation Areas. Currently  only four NMCA’s have been declared, including one in BC – the Gwaii  Haanas (South Moresby) NMCA and Haida Heritage Site announced last year. NMCA’s prohibit ocean dumping, seabed mining and oil and gas  exploration and development, and can also restrict harvesting of certain species, including zoning some fully-protected “no-take” areas.

“Scientists around the world and in Canada have been calling for the protection of  at least 30% of the oceans in fully-protected ‘no-take’ marine  sanctuaries. I fully support this goal and will push hard as Canada’s  first Green MP to see to it that the glacial pace of marine protection  is stepped-up before our oceans are emptied out,” stated Ms. May. “June 8 is Oceans Day and what better way to celebrate that special day than  with the announcement of a new National Marine Conservation Area in the  Strait of Georgia?”

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