Marine Pilots Look Forward to Participating in the Process to Amend the Pilotage Act

OTTAWA, April 10, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Marine Pilots' Association (CMPA) looks forward to actively and constructively participating in the parliamentary process to amend the Pilotage Act. "The proposed amendments stem from the Pilotage Act Review initiated in 2016 by Transport Canada as part of the Oceans Protection Plan. They will introduce significant change in the pilotage regime but they also reaffirm the fundamental principles of a system that has served Canada very well for many decades" said CMPA President, Captain Simon Pelletier.

"Pilots take their commitment to act in the public interest very seriously. This consideration guided our participation in the Review process and again recently in the Reconsideration Hearing of the National Energy Board on the proposed expansion of the TransMountain pipeline. We will continue making constructive and principled contributions to the deliberations during the legislative process to ensure safety always remains the first consideration and pilotage continues to effectively serve Canadians for many years to come", added Captain Pelletier.

"The essential purpose of pilotage is to protect the public interest: to safeguard lives, the environment, and public infrastructure while supporting responsible economic development and trade. Pilots are highly-skilled professionals with expert knowledge of local waters who exercise their professional judgement without undue pressure from external interests. Canada's high-performance pilotage system plays a strategic role in mitigating risk on the country's waterways and we understand that the intent of the amendments is to update the pilotage framework while making sure safety remains the paramount consideration at all times" concluded Captain Pelletier.

Approximately 50,000 pilotage assignments take place every year in Canada, with a success rate consistently above 99.9%. Pilotage also makes a crucial contribution to Canada's economy with virtually all international trade carried by sea relying on pilots to ensure it is shipped safely and efficiently.

About the CMPA
The CMPA is the professional body that represents Canada's licensed marine pilots on matters of relevance to the piloting profession whether expressed through legislation, regulation, policy reviews or industry consultations. For more information, visit www.apmc-cmpa.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Marine Pilots’ Association (CMPA)