The Port of Vancouver embarks on a comprehensive underwater noise management plan

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VPFA) has established an underwater management plan for the Port of Vancouver. The plan sets out the VPFA’s approach to understanding, managing and mitigating the effects of port-related underwater noise on marine mammals, especially at-risk whales.

The VPFA will review and update the plan annually to report on progress regarding planned actions and targets and to incorporate any significant changes in its approach.

Other key objectives include raising awareness among port users and tenants about the impacts of underwater noise on marine life, as well as reducing such from port-related activities within the VFPA’s jurisdiction and throughout British Columbia’s southern coast.

Underwater noise in the north Pacific Ocean is increasing and estimated to have doubled in intensity every decade over the past 60 years. Commercial shipping is one of the main contributors to the increase, and vessel traffic and volumes are expected to rise along with Canada’s increasing population and trade. The underwater noise has been shown to intervene with the ability of marine mammals to perform key functions, such as navigating, communicating, feeding themselves, and avoiding danger.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest port, and the third largest in North America in terms of annual tonnes of cargo. Already at the forefront of underwater noise management with initiatives such as the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) and EcoAction programs, the VFPA is now focusing its management strategy on three key areas: research and innovation, education and engagement, and planning and taking action.

You can read the VFPA’s complete underwater noise management plan released in December 2023, including progress to date on 2021-2024 actions.