| Summary: | The Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) is a commitment by the federal government of Canada to ensure the safety and protection of Canadian marine areas. This commitment is broad ranging, covering many operational, ecological, and social aspects, and is designed to be collaborative with local Indigenous communities and key parties. One initiative within OPP is the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/environmental-environnement/cebp-pdecr/index-eng.html), which seeks to characterize the current ecosystem state in several Canadian ports with high, or potentially high, vessel traffic; within the Salish Sea, the Port of Vancouver has been designated as one of the pilot study areas. The Pacific Region Coastal Environmental Baseline group has engaged with First Nations, provincial and municipal governments, and community groups to jointly develop the Baseline objectives, spatial extent and the plan to achieve these objectives. We present an overview of the engagement process and of the discussions leading to the agreed upon objectives. Additionally, we will briefly discuss the scientific scope of the program.
|
|---|