Question Period Note: Ocean Protection Plan

• In response to increased maritime traffic, Budget 2022 provided an additional $2 billion over nine years to renew and expand the Oceans Protection Plan, which was launched by Canada in 2016 through a $1.5 billion investment. This total of $3.5 billion since 2016 makes the Oceans Protection Plan the largest investment ever committed to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways.
• This investment will strengthen marine safety, protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems, and create stronger partnerships with Indigenous and coastal communities.
• The measures, to be implemented until 2031, will help grow the economy while protecting the environment, and ensure that all Canadians can have confidence in our marine safety system.

BACKGROUND
• The implementation of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) is shared across Transport Canada (TC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and Health Canada (HC).
• Marine traffic has been increasing in support of Canada’s growing economy, and the Government has taken steps since 2016 by using the OPP to strengthen marine safety, protect marine ecosystems, and create stronger partnerships with Indigenous and coastal communities.
• Under the first phase of OPP (2017-2022), DFO and the CCG had the following accomplishments:
• Improved access to high-quality, real-time or near real-time data on our marine environment.
• Funded oil spill research, especially on Canadian oil products, to better understand how oil behaves and breaks down in different marine conditions.
• Funded 60+ projects to restore coastal aquatic habitats, and 154 projects to remove and dispose of abandoned and/or wrecked vessels located in small craft harbours.
• Established 24/7 Regional Operations Centers in the Coast Guard’s Western, Atlantic and Central and Arctic regions to enhance marine awareness, environmental response and search and rescue capacity.
• Opened five new CCG search and rescue stations in Victoria and Tahsis (British Columbia), and in St. Anthony, Old Perlican and Twillingate (Newfoundland and Labrador).
• Increased the presence of CCG icebreakers in the North during the Arctic season.
• Funded over $12 million to 40+ Indigenous communities for search and rescue capabilities.
• Co-launched the Coastal Nations CCG Auxiliary, the first Indigenous led CCG Auxiliary organisation, in eight First Nations communities along the British Columbia coast.
• To enable Canada's marine safety and environmental protection system to withstand disruption and adapt to changing marine traffic, the renewal of the OPP was announced by the Prime Minister on July 19, 2022. For DFO and CCG, this renewal includes 31 projects representing $1.1 billion in funding over nine years starting in 2022-23, and $68 million ongoing.
• The Prime Minister’s announcement on OPP in 2022 was followed with a series of ministerial announcements to expand on the OPP renewal themes: marine safety; protection and restoration of marine ecosystems; building on indigenous relationships; and marine emergency preparedness, response and partnerships.
• Most recently, the following updates related to DFO and CCG OPP projects were announced:
• On February 23, 2024, the Honourable Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced funding for nine communities through the renewed Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program. This funding will be used to support Indigenous communities in purchasing a boat and equipment to participate in the marine safety response system as members of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.
• On March 14, 2024, DFO announced its partnership with the Inuit firm, Sedna ROV Services, to conduct hydrographic survey missions in the Arctic. These hydrographic surveys will play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of the Arctic seabed. This initiative also supports job training and employment opportunities for Indigenous students in post-secondary marine studies programs to work as cadets aboard the M/V Polar Prince.
 

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