Commercial Marine Shipping Accidents: Understanding the Risks in Canada

The Question

What are the main areas of social, environmental, and economic risk associated with key stages of marine shipping of goods in Canadian waters? Are these risks commonly agreed upon? To what extent are they measurable?

Key Findings

The report brings together perspectives from academia, government, and industry and is informed by evidence from a survey of the marine shipping community and an extensive review of the existing literature. It can be used as a tool for policy-makers to help inform decisions related to managing the risks of commercial marine shipping accidents. Overall, this report seeks to contribute to a national dialogue about acceptable levels of risk in commercial marine shipping.

• Commercial marine shipping risks are mitigated by a large body of regulations, safety protocols and practices, and navigation technologies, which have made marine shipping, in Canada and globally, much safer in recent decades.
• Commercial marine shipping operates in a complex risk environment where a variety of factors interact to increase or decrease the likelihood of an accident and the severity of its impact.
• The nature of commercial marine shipping risk varies by region due to differences in cargo, regulation, physical traits of the marine environment, and economic, social, and cultural uses of waterways and coastlines.
• Risks associated with major oil spills are significant and well documented, and they underscore how resulting environmental impacts can bring about social, economic, and health impacts.
• Better-quality marine shipping data are needed if the likelihood of incidents and accidents is to be better understood and measured for different cargo types, stages of shipping, and types of impacts.

Further research would address gaps in the understanding of Canada’s marine risk environment, particularly with respect to impacts of hazardous and noxious substances and diluted bitumen, spills in freshwater and cold environments, and on the multi-agency system that oversees marine safety in Canada.

Infographic: Regional Risk Profiles of Commercial Marine Shipping Accidents