Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee, thank you for having the B.C. Coast Pilots at this meeting.
Captain Stewart and I are both licensed B.C. coast pilots. It's a company of local experts dedicated to protecting our coast, since the mid-1800s, by supplying unbiased, independent expertise on behalf of the government, the people, to the shipping industry.
British Columbia is home to one of the most pristine and ecologically sensitive marine habitats in North America, but it is also one of the largest economic portals of Canada. As Canada moves towards amending the Pilotage Act, the coast pilots strongly support the need for a clearly defined purpose clause ensuring that the Canadian public's expectations will be met.
The proposed addition to the Pilotage Act declares that navigational, public and environmental safety be at all times the primary concern, not only when it is practical or adequate. There is no value in a strongly worded economic policy if the public and the first nations do not support or trust the government and industry to protect their inheritance, livelihood and a healthy environment. These are actually basic principles that all Canadians live by.
The wording of the proposed purpose clause clearly shows the Government of Canada recognizes that a national pilotage system must ensure the highest standards of public and environmental protection. This is essential to ensure clean waterways and sustainable economic development.
However, caution must be exercised before introducing any change into a high-performing system such as the Canadian pilotage regime. This is especially the case at a time of great public concern about safe navigation and the marine environment, particularly in the context of proposals to exponentially increase tanker traffic on the west coast. As Mr. Grégoire noted in his review of the Pilotage Act, “the public grows steadily more risk-averse and the 'social licence' for marine transportation declines”.
When B.C. Coast Pilots first recommended adding a purpose clause to the act, our suggestion caused objections amongst many participants. The coast pilots felt strongly that the review's objectives of modernization, along with the oceans protection plan, made such a clause a natural and necessary addition. Although there continue to be suggestions to dilute this commitment to the public and environmental safety, the B.C. Coast Pilots remain confident in the wisdom of the current language and the benefits it will bring to the Pilotage Act.
Perhaps no single issue highlights the increased public awareness of B.C.'s west coast than the plight of the killer whales. The vulnerability of this species has resonated with the public throughout Canada.
Our long-standing relationship with the coastal communities through the regional pilotage model has allowed a mutual appreciation of concerns to be developed over the years. BCCP has been intimately involved in the port's enhanced cetacean habitat and observation initiative, and has also worked closely with the DFO and Transport Canada.
The Pilotage Act has undergone an extensive review leading to the proposed changes. However, some interests continue to press for more control and a reduction of costs, in statements that are not always grounded in fact.
For example, we have repeatedly emphasized the need to refer to the independent study that Transport Canada contracted with the AIM Group, which states that in 2016 the magnitude of pilotage costs for Canada's largest port, Vancouver, was 0.018% of the total value of maritime trade. AIM reached the clear conclusion that pilotage does not negatively affect Canada's competitiveness.
The B.C. Coast Pilots support the amendments as they uphold the principles of pilotage—of safety and independence—and we look forward to a meaningful, ongoing engagement in the coming months.
Thank you.