Foreign-flagged vessels employing exploited and overworked foreign crews who have neither vested interest in Canadian waterways nor the experience to navigate them are bound to cause environmental catastrophes like the oil spill in Vancouver this week, Canadian seafarers warn.
 
The Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU) and the Canadian Maritime & Supply Chain Coalition (CMSCC) who representing the majority of Seafarers & Maritime Logistics Unions across the nation are calling on the Government of Canada to reverse the Maritime provisions outlined in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), that allow exploited and overworked foreign crews, unfamiliar with Canada’s fragile ecosystem, to operate between two Canadian Ports, trade previously reserved for Canadian flagged and crewed vessels.  

They are calling on the Canadian Government to strengthen Canada’s Cabotage laws in the wake of this week’s spill was from the vessel Marathassa, a bulk carrier sailing under the Cyprus flag with foreign crew manning the vessel, which is precisely the kind of vessel CETA would allow into trade in Canada permanently, according to SIU.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed the CETA with the European Union last fall calling the trade agreement a “game changer” that is “deeper in substance and broader in scope than any such other agreement in Canadian history.”

“The SIU of Canada is outraged that the Conservative Government is risking the St. Lawrence River’s and Great Lakes’ fragile ecosystem in the name of trade,” James Given, President, Seafarers’ International Union of Canada and Chair of the CMSCC, said.  “The SIU has long advocated that it would only take one accident to cause irreversible damage to the environment, and what we see in Vancouver is a complete catastrophe to its scenic English Bay.”

SIU claims that foreign crews often lack the skills needed to operate in Canada’s confined waterways and struggle to meet our rigid safety standards.

“The Government of Canada is taking a huge chance with the pristine waters of the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes,” added Given.  “Foreign vessels and crew have no vested interest in the protection of our waterways.  They do not live or raise their families, nor do they rely on these waters exclusively like Canadian Seafarers do”. 

“This is exactly why domestic shipping must remain a Canadian industry,” Peter Lahay, Vancouver-based National Coordinator for the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), said.  “In our hands, such a catastrophic event is unlikely to occur, and if it did, the owner of the ship is right down the street. They have a stake in their community. Most importantly, we know who they are.  They’re not some slippery numbered company in the Cayman Islands, Panama or Cyprus.”

“Typically, the captain of the Marathassa tried to deny his ship was leaking,” added Lahay.  “Every day, Seafarers’ Representatives in Canada claw at the corporate veil shielding Flag of Convenience ship owners. We know all about intentional dumping of marine pollutants, about unpaid and exploited workers, and they deny that too.”

With tar balls and oil-coated rocks and barnacles already found on the beach, Vancouver’s environment is at risk, a risk that could have been avoided, according to SIU.

“There is always a risk of an accidental spill; however, Canadian vessels with highly trained Canadian crew greatly reduce that risk,” Given concluded. “We feel terrible for the people of Vancouver that have to endure an accident that in all likelihood could have been prevented.  It’s time that we take a hard look at what ships we allow into Canadian Waters”.