Mr. Speaker, our government has been clear that we must protect our oceans, including our coastal environment. That is why we have taken steps, including working with key federal stakeholders and the private sector, to prevent spills of oil and of hazardous and noxious substances in Canadian waters. Through the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, and its regulations, the government strictly regulates air emissions and vessel discharges, as well as ship design and construction, based on international standards, and we often exceed those standards.
Pollution prevention is at the heart of Canada's marine regimen. We know that spills, chemical discharges and marine debris represent real threats to the health of marine ecosystems. This regulatory and legislative framework is reinforced by a robust regimen for spills when they happen. The Canadian Coast Guard leads when spills occur and coordinates the deployment of rapid response teams and specialized equipment.
The work with industry, provinces and territories, and most importantly indigenous communities because of their local and traditional knowledge, is essential in minimizing the impact of spills. They are not left to address the situation alone. This is a cross-government approach where we have sought to incorporate, utilize and learn from indigenous knowledge in our national response system and subsequent responses.
Our framework is based on a simple and central principle that the polluter pays. It is enshrined in the Canada Shipping Act, which contains substantial penalties for polluters, and other relevant legislation that places the financial responsibility for cleanup and restoration on those responsible for incidents and accidents.
The Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act is another example of empowering authorities to address vessels that pose a risk to navigation or the environment and to make owners responsible for the cost of removal and remediation. The framework helps to ensure that owners remain responsible for their vessels throughout the lifetime and reinforces the principle that the polluter pays.
Concrete steps have been taken to strengthen marine safety and environmental protection in collaboration with indigenous people and stakeholders. The Canada Shipping Act of 2001 has been amended to strengthen marine emergency responses by enhancing Transport Canada's authorities to ensure early action by the responsible party to prevent and contain marine emergencies, expand the preparedness, respond to a regimen including spills of hazardous and noxious substances, and strengthen the compliance and enforcement regime.
Transport Canada has also updated the regulations to strengthen preparedness in the event of oil spills from a vessel. Our government is taking further steps to strengthen marine environmental protection by requiring more rapid access to marine emergency services, such as firefighting resources and emergency salvage capacity, as the recent incident in Bella Bella required, and improving preparedness and response for incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances.
These actions and our regimen recognize that a strong safety system is crucial for protecting our marine ecosystem and our coastal communities. It is the foundation for a growing trade and economy in a sustainable fashion.