Talks required on marine safety

The Haida Nation passed a resolution demanding that the mass export of fossil fuel through its territory be prohibited. Kil tlaats ‘gaa Peter Lantin, president of the Haida Nation, said that if LNG is developed on the north coast we could see large LNG tankers passing through Haida territorial waters. Presently there are no adequate provincial or federal emergency response systems in place if a ship were to founder.

“Should there be an accident our environment and way of life will experience significant damage,” Lantin said in a press statement. The Haida Nation wants to engage with the federal and provincial governments, as well as shipping industry, to explore ways to prevent and respond to marine vessel casualties. This includes the development of a marine emergency response system stationed on Haida Gwaii funded mostly by the shipping industry.