EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - CANADA’S OCEAN NOISE STRATEGY: LEGISLATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS

development and exploitation of natural resources, and ever-expanding marine construction activities related to To help inform the creation of a strong Ocean Noise Strategy, ports and terminals are drowning out the natural chirps, WWF-Canada commissioned East Coast Environmental clicks, whistles and songs of marine species. [...] • The federal government would be accountable to these regional underwater noise standards and thresholds established under the Oceans Act, making it incumbent upon the federal government to establish requirements for noise pollution reduction and to set region-specific noise reduction targets for areas where continuous noise levels are above the prescribed limits or thresholds. [...] Clearly to ensure that noise levels don’t exceed the biological limits of defining what constitutes noise-related “harm,” SRKW and maintain the acoustic quality of critical habitat that is “harassment” and “destruction” is critical to the necessary and conducive to recovery of the population. [...] MEQ standards and requirements should conditions — including adherence to activity-based be applied nationally, with regional and sub-regional noise thresholds and area-based noise targets — on all standards with noise thresholds specific to Arctic, coastal and offshore projects to mitigate the impacts of Atlantic and Pacific regions. [...] • The federal government should mandate all ministerial • Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) should be agencies that have responsibility for managing the ocean used to identify and assess noise impacts, local and and ocean-based activities to develop measures that regional thresholds, areas to avoid, and mitigation ensure the activities they oversee contribute to meeting measures such as the a.