4. Legal aspects of marine mammals and noise in relation to knowledge gaps
Much of the anthropogenic noise in Canada’s Pacific region comes from shipping (Erbe et al., 2012) and small vessels (Erbe, 2002). Shipping is governed at the international level by treaties developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO adopts treaties and national governments who sign and ratify the treaties then incorporate the treaty language into their own legislation. National governments are responsible for implementing their laws. Transport Canada’s long-term strategy is to harmonize Canadian domestic regulations with international standards as much as possible.7 Canada’s Shipping Act (CSA) governs marine transportation and applies to Canadian vessels operating in all waters and foreign vessels operating in Canadian waters. The CSA incorporates some parts of the IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) into national law. MARPOL does not currently include noise as a pollutant.