Finance committee  Thank you. I'm Louise Laflamme, working in the marine policy group at Transport Canada. I'm here to talk to you about division 38, clause 531. First, the Coasting Trade Act reserves Canada's coasting trade for Canadian vessels. Coasting trade includes the transportation of goo

Finance committee  No.

Finance committee  There are none.

Finance committee  The seismic programs that are going to be part of those regulated by offshore boards and the NEB will still have to comply with all the regulations and standards they have to today. The exemption does not remove this requirement. Those who would conduct seismic activities that ar

Finance committee  On the environmental side, as I said, existing regulations will not change. In addition, there are other regulatory requirements to mitigate the environmental impacts of seismic sound waves. The Statement of Canadian Practice with respect to the Mitigation of Seismic Sound in the

Finance committee  Offshore producing companies already hire seismic vessels to conduct seismic activities, both within our coastal waters and the continental shelf. This amendment is for the continental shelf only. Traditionally, it has been extremely difficult for them to import the vessels they

Finance committee  Well, what the Coasting Trade Act does, as I said, is reserve it to Canadian-registered vessels. There is currently in the Coasting Trade Act an administrative process to allow for the temporary importation of foreign vessels. So you have to be a Canadian resident or natural pers

Finance committee  No.

Finance committee  No, the Coastal Trade Act is administered solely by Transport Canada. They are aware of the proposed amendment. At present, you are part of the review.

Finance committee  No, we have not.

Finance committee  Today?

Finance committee  Well, the coasting trade licences are for foreign vessels. I am not aware of the Canadian activities per se because they don't require a coasting trade licence to take place.

Finance committee  There is no ability for the minister to provide exemptions for seismic activities under the Coasting Trade Act today. The coasting trade licence is an administrative process that is administered by the Canadian Transportation Agency, which is independent of Transport Canada.

Finance committee  Yes. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have both expressed the desire for this kind of amendment.

Finance committee  We commissioned two separate reports on the issue of the application of the Coasting Trade Act. One was in 2005. The second one, in 2007, was specific to the application of the Coasting Trade Act on the offshore industry. It's something we've been looking at and considering for s