Transport committee  The previous speaker is correct. The vessel owners, especially with dangerous goods, have to have quite a stiff amount of insurance that we pay for, which I think is understandable. For shipowners, especially of operating tankers along the coast, which is the first layer that the gentleman just mentioned, it's called a COFR, certificate of financial responsibility.

Transport committee  I would imagine that you could go to Transport Canada and ask about that inspection regime. As I mentioned, it was in November 2011. I'm sure, with that date and that requirement of those two inspections, you'll be able to find that data. Ms. Young brought up a good point a minute ago.

Transport committee  In a nutshell, you're correct. If I look at the top five transporters here in British Columbia, my guess is they probably have 85% of the market.

Transport committee  There are three layers of what we in the marine group and our shipyards—we both share this common desire.... There are three areas that are internationally regulated. There's a safety management system, an SMS, an environmental management system, an EMS, and also a quality management system, a QMS.

Transport committee  Absolutely. I'm asked that question quite frequently because of the experience and breadth of business we do in British Columbia. The things that I've highlighted so far are small operators operating primarily in the northen portion of our province. When I look at the safe transportation and the safety record that I mentioned earlier with 20,000 escorts through the port of Vancouver into the Second Narrows, through a gap that's 450 feet wide, we're constantly asked about it right now because we're doing support in the Kitimat and Douglas Channel area for LNG or possibly oil export.

Transport committee  Yes. The international classification societies are put together to kind of fill in that gap and make sure that regulations around the world are complied with. They do a fantastic job. Some of our vessels are included in classification. The reason I stress “some” is that the classification only applies to vessels of a certain size, horsepower, and weight.

Transport committee  I can tell you that until about a year ago, and something may have very well occurred in the last 12 months, but I do know that in 2012and 2013, because I was informed by Transport Canada, they had not done more of these reviews and audits. There is a very good chance in the last 12 months—I have not spoken to Transport Canada about that—that this may have occurred.

Transport committee  That's correct.

Transport committee  That's correct. I do.

Transport committee  That's correct. One of the things that I think stands out with Seaspan, for example.... By the way, all of my discussion points so far are really comparing the coastal tug and barge and marine business. I'm more than willing to talk about the international tankers and the international vessels, but I'm really just talking about the domestic fleet.

Transport committee  Actually, the largest portion of that growth is in the shipyard business that we talked about a little earlier. I don't want to compare apples and oranges. Those additional 1,000 employees are going to be here on land and will not fall under the Transport Canada regulations that we were discussing.

Transport committee  There could be more done, and that would be my recommendation.

Transport committee  That's correct. There's the ability for the commercial market to actually recognize and reward those who have safety systems, who ensure that the environment is taken care of, and who ensure that they meet or exceed safety criteria especially in the case of customers in the oil business, for example.

Transport committee  We also had a barge from Seaspan that was dispatched that day and was heading up there with a 30,000-barrel barge to assist, just in case.

Transport committee  I left it out of my comments that in terms of November 2011 and those two four-day inspections that occurred, unfortunately that was also the last voyage and agreement that they did with the RCMP. Although that was, in my humble opinion, a very successful outing in catching players not playing by the rules, I was a little dismayed to see that they actually have not kept up with those.