Proposed Amendments to the Oceans Act Focus on Environmental Protection and Enforcement
Excerpt:
Earlier this year, 2017, the federal government introduced Bill C-55, An Act to Amend the Oceans Act and the Canadian Petroleum Resources Act. The proposed amendments include environmental protection provisions to allow the government to more quickly designate an area as a marine protected area. The amendments also significantly increase the level of fines, strengthen the enforcement provisions of the Act, and add offences specifically relating to ships.