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Message from the Marine Safety Executive Committee

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It has been almost six years since the Marine Safety program last revised its strategic plan. Much has happened since that time, prompting the need to reshape how we conduct our activities in the various facets of the Canadian marine transportation system and within the marine community.

Not only did we inherit policies and programs from the department of Fisheries and Oceans in 2003 - which is detailed later in this report - we have also initiated the review and modernization of one of our core regulatory instruments, the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.

The new Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (CSA 2001), which came into effect in July 2007, replaces the Canada Shipping Act as the principal legislation governing safety in marine transportation and recreational boating, as well as protection of the marine environment. It applies to Canadian vessels operating in all waters and to foreign vessels operating in Canadian waters, ranging from canoes and kayaks to cruise ships and tankers. The CSA 2001 promotes the sustainable growth of the marine community without compromising safety, and is responsive to the needs of Canadians in a global economy.

The CSA 2001 is less prescriptive and more performance-based. Performance based regulations have changed how we regulate, establish priorities, coordinate across jurisdictions and measure performance.

These are busy times at the Marine Safety program. As always, our efforts are aimed at improving safety on the water, with growing focus on small vessels, regulatory reform and the protection of the marine environment.

We will also re-examine how we manage risk - or what we do to prevent incidents and accidents from occurring in the first place and learn from them when they occur. Regulators recognize that an entity can comply with regulations without effectively managing risks to acceptable levels. There is a need to implement a more comprehensive approach, which includes systematically understanding and managing the risks in the system. This will require a culture change on the part of both industry and the Marine Safety program in adopting a new accountability framework for delivering on safety objectives.

To this end, the Marine Safety program will implement Transport Canada's Moving Forward - Changing the safety and security culture - A strategic direction for safety and security management. Implementing a Safety Management System in the marine transportation requires that we build upon our existing regulatory regime and focus on risk management practices.

We will also improve our existing marine safety management system in support of Transport Canada's Safety and Security Group's commitment to adopt an integrated management system - which in turn supports the government of Canada's Results for Canadians and Management Accountability Framework. The marine safety management system can be applied to all Marine Safety programs on a national basis to provide consistency in service and application.

The strategic plan is not an action plan or a work plan. Rather, it is a forward-looking blueprint that can be used to align an organization with a common direction. Specific business and action plans, with targeted completion dates, will flow from this strategic plan.

In order to move forward on The New Wave, we will continue to involve and support our dedicated professionals, stakeholders and the public. Together we can make great strides in pursuing our vision of having a safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible marine community recognized worldwide as a leader.

Donald Roussel
Director General Marine Safety
Chair, Marine Safety Excutive Committee

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Date modified:
2010-01-14