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Protest at Canadian environment rules
2 July 2009
The ITF joined forces with Canadian shipowners – the International Shipowners Alliance of Canada and the Council of Marine Carriers – to protest against new environmental rules that they say could lead to unfair prosecutions.
The protest, on 18 June, was aimed at new environmental protection laws (Bill C-16) before the Canadian Senate. Under the proposed new laws, which aim to prevent the deliberate discharge of oily waste into Canadian waters, a person accused of polluting will be presumed guilty unless they can prove otherwise.
Peter Lahay of the ITF said that, as the legislation allows for jail terms and fines of up to Canadian $12 million a day, it should be enforced in the same way as criminal law, with the onus resting on the prosecution to prove that the act was committed intentionally. This would be fairer to seafarers involved in an accidental spillage.
He said the changes would contravene the UN conventions for the prevention of pollution from ships, as well as Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Although the Senate passed the second reading of the bill, there is still scope for it to be amended and Peter Lahay said that the protests would go on: "We will continue to work with the ISF, BIMCO and other organisations, such as the Asian Shipowners' Forum."
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