On Aug. 12, Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will work with partners to design, by March 31, 2022, a new collaborative system to manage marine vessel traffic and optimize the supply chain flow for the gateway.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which manages the Port of Vancouver, will work with partners to develop the implementation plan for the new system, which according to the transport minister’s office, will include measures to:
- Strengthen marine safety by reducing congestion and actively managing marine traffic in the busiest, most confined waters of the port;
- Improve the efficiency and reliability of the flow of goods through this strategic gateway for all supply chain partners;
- Reduce environmental impacts, including noise impacts in Southern Resident killer whale habitat, by limiting unnecessary vessel movements, and;
- Reduce negative social impacts, like ambient noise and light pollution, by reducing overall anchorage usage in Southern British Columbia and implementing a Code of Conduct for vessels at anchorage.
The plan, according to federal government office Transport Canada, will include approaches to policies, procedures, practices, incentives, technologies, information, and data-sharing needed to deliver a traffic management system that creates benefits for all partners. This approach will reflect best practices seen in some leading ports around the world.
“By collaborating with industry and shipping communities to improve supply chain efficiency in a safe and responsible way,” Alghabra said in a statement, “we can increase our maritime trade, and support Canada’s economic recovery and growth, while protecting our coasts and waterways for generations to come.”
