1. ANCHORAGES INITIATIVE

2. Background
An efficient marine transportation system is critical to Canada’s economy
There will always be a need for anchorages – but they can have environmental and social impacts that must be considered
Port authorities control and manage anchorages within their boundaries. When ports are at capacity, vessels must anchor elsewhere.
Lack of sufficient anchorages within the ports became an issue in 2014 and led to increased use of anchorages along the South Coast of British Columbia
Currently, Canada has no formal process to identify anchorages and guide vessel behavior outside of port boundaries
Provide examples of economic importance of ports/anchorages, e.g. over % of Canada’s GDP flows through the Port of Vancouver, and over 60% of Canada’s total trade is by ship. Approximately one fifth of Canada’s international trade is handled by Canadian ports, including 61% of exports to countries other than the United States.
We will never have a future scenario where there are no anchorages outside Port boundaries --- but we can work together to identify an optimum system
A formal identification process used to be in place in the 1970’s to identify suitable anchoring spots, and have these locations marked on marine charts. That is no longer the case.
The right to anchor is established in international maritime law.

3. What Transport Canada has heard …
Specific issues vary across Canada, but there are some common concerns -
Noise and light from vessels
Scouring of the ocean floor
Potential discharge of pollutants
Introduction of invasive species
Risk of Collisions
Ports are often at capacity and use of coastal anchorages has increased
Management and oversight of anchorages outside ports is not visible
We have some ideas why the demand for anchorages has increased – e.g. rise in numbers of ships, increase in size of vessels, changed behavior patterns of ships agents … but there does not appear to be any one root cause. This question will be further explored as part of the Anchorages Initiative
Similarly, many people believe that anchoring has a negative impact on the ocean ecosystem --- the challenge is how to measure that impact accurately and factor in the concerns when we select new anchoring sites
How should ships at anchor be managed? Do we need to consider changing to our national systems or regulations?

4. What is the Anchorages Initiative?
The National Anchorages Initiative will bring governments, marine industry, Indigenous groups, community organizations and stakeholders together to
Develop a practical process to identify anchorages;
Analyze and respond to environmental, economic and cultural concerns now and over the long term;
Draft a best practices at anchor manual; and
Recommend oversight/management options for these anchorages.
Why are we doing this? (repeat previous points for emphasis
No formal process to identify anchorages outside of Port boundaries
Need for anchorages is increasing and ports are often at capacity
A number of coastal communities have expressed concerns about the impact of so many anchored vessels on the quality of water, the marine life, and the ocean bottom --- how do we measure
After the review of impacts and processes is over, we need to determine whether we need new or changed regulations
Project is led nationally by Transport Canada Marine Policy in Ottawa – introduce Caroline Robitaille if she is in the audience

5. Pacific Region Data
Pacific Pilotage Authority has kindly shared their data on use of anchorage sites – we are working together with industry to monitor and analyze information … just at the beginning of a comprehensive review.
Clear to see that in the Pacific Region the use of South Coast anchorages has risen in recent years.
Our early data analysis shows that some South Coast Anchorages are used far more than others
Demand is likely to stay high --- how do we best manage going forward
Some increase in overall #’s of vessels visiting B.C. and some increase in the average length of stay at anchor …
More detail to come as we work through our analyses

6. What approach are we taking?
Public engagement and information sessions
National Anchorages Working Group
Evidence-based reviews
Data analysis – trends and forecasts (e.g. traffic, shipping routes and patterns, anchorage usage, scientific and environmental, fish habitat)
Legal and regulatory analysis
Review of stakeholder concerns
Develop and recommend changes to present practice
Cost-benefit analysis of options
Today’s session is the first formal public engagement in Pacific region,
A similar session will be held in Quebec City November 7-8, 2017
Atlantic (and Arctic) meetings are still being planned
Any changes that we propose (e.g. prohibitions) must be on the basis of sound analysis – SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO IT WELL
Rigorous data analysis will be a challenge since the characteristics of southern B.C. do not exist elsewhere in the world

7. Pacific Region activities
Pacific Region Interim Anchorages Protocol – a short term set of guidelines to evenly distribute the use of South Coast anchorages, require vessels to adhere to a code of conduct, and increase monitoring
Pacific Region Anchorages Advisory Committee – proposed as one method of ongoing engagement
Additional engagement meetings. Dialogue with Indigenous groups and user communities will be essential to success.
Work together with other OPP teams to identify data needed for analysis
Information on the Interim Protocol will be distributed in the next couple of weeks.
The Anchorages team will work together with other OPP initiative such as cumulative effects, EMSA, RRP so that all planning and information needs are coordinated …
Some Ports in Canada and in other countries have best practices for ships at anchor (e.g. Prince Rupert) … we believe that these best practices should also apply to anchoring at locations that are currently not actively managed --- that is something we will want to explore as part of the comprehensive review
Taking all needs and impacts into account (ports, shippers, economics, social, environmental, etc.) should Canada have a different system? There are many questions related to the use of anchorages ..
How are they identified (technical considerations)
What else should be considered before they begin to be recommended for use
Are there best practices that we can recommend which would mitigate any impact on the community and the ecosystems
How do we measure impacts --- do we have a good baseline? Should there be periodic reviews? Etc.

8. When? Form working group(s) with Indigenous and Coastal communities
Over the next 12 to 18 months, Pacific region will
Form working group(s) with Indigenous and Coastal communities
Review data and science
Determine how impacts will be measured and monitored
Identify criteria for selection and use of anchorages
Complete a best practices guide
Conclude recommendations for change
One of the questions we want you to consider today is how we best interact with First Nations on this important subject
We’ve proposed a Pacific Region Advisory Committee on Anchorages --- would love to have you on that Committee
WE NEED TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU
Could also have a FN only working group – looking for your suggestions on how to work together, and then if there is more than one working group, how to meld the two together to hear each other’s views and come to consensus on recommendations

9. Next steps – we need to hear from you ….
What is your vision for the future management and use of anchorages?
What suggestions do you have on the best way of working together to review anchorages issues?
What are your ideas on how we can together evaluate the environmental and social impact of anchorages?
The comprehensive Anchorages Initiative is our opportunity to work together for a future that we can all support. We need your active involvement so that we can be sure that all factors have been considered.
We need to work together with coastal residents, scientists, and industry --- BUT we also need to recognize that we are in this together and that we will each need to make compromises to develop a future system that works best for all.
We’ve proposed a Pacific Advisory Committee to bring everyone together --- do you have other ideas and suggestions?
As much as we would like to meet with everyone one on one, no one (either us or you ) has the capacity to attend hundreds of meetings, so we do need to work in groups --- and, we get to hear each others views.
We also cannot make individual agreements and our final solution(s) have to be in considered of the good of the whole.

10. Getting involved…
Additional information on how you can provide comments and feedback will be provided after the forum.
For specific questions about anchorages, us at
We are drafting a discussion paper with additional background that we will make available in the weeks to come

11. Anchorage Contacts Pacific Region National Lead
Vija Poruks, Project Manager
Pacific Region Oceans Protection Plan
Transport Canada / Government of Canada
Tel:
National Lead
Caroline Robitaille
Policy Analyst, Ports and Seaway Policy
Tel:

12. Questions?