This amendment would obligate the minister to declare an emergency zone in all cases, without consideration for what's going on in that immediate area. There may be remote areas with no population or in which marine navigation is at risk. This would require the immediate establishment of an emergency zone and the necessary resources—in many cases specialized enforcement—and other requirements to establish and enforce that zone, which would lead to significant costs for taxpayers. The “may” in this, as drafted, gives the minister discretion to make that determination and assess each situation on its merits and risks.
On February 26th, 2018. See this statement in context.