Mr. Speaker, I again rise on behalf of frustrated constituents of mine from Union Bay on Vancouver Island, who are trying to draw the House's attention and the government's attention to the fact that Canada does not have strong laws when it comes to shipbreaking and ship recycling. In fact, we have extremely weak ones, if anything.
Petitioners are calling on the government to develop enforceable federal standards to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of ship recycling that meet or exceed those set out in the EU ship recycling regulations, provide assistance through loans or grants to long-term reputable ship recycling companies that are closed-contained in a floating dry dock to facilitate implementation of new federal standards into their operations, and develop a strategy for recycling end-of-life for federally owned marine vessels.
Petitioners cite the significant risk to workers and the environment associated with ship recycling due to the presence of a wide variety of hazardous materials in end-of-life marine vessels. Also, unlike other jurisdictions, Canada lacks standards on ship recycling and unregulated ship recycling activities, which are putting our oceans, coastal communities like where I live on Vancouver Island and workers at risk. The lack of domestic oversight of ship recycling and the disposal of end-of-life marine vessels frustrates Canada's ability to ensure compliance with its international obligations under the Basel Convention.