Standby in Canada Requires Coasting Trade License
The Coasting Trade Act requires foreign vessels to apply for license if they wish to engage in the coasting trade - i.e. sailing between 2 Canadian ports or engaging in work of a commercial nature in Canadian waters. A license will only be issued if there is no "suitable" and "available" Canadian ship to do the work. At it's core, it is a protectionist piece of legislation designed to protect Canada's shipping industry. In the case of Global Marine v Canada, 2020 FC 414, Global Marine had a foreign flagged cable laying ship, the " Cable Innovator", on standby in Canada. It was on standby so it could perform cable work on an as required basis in the Northern Pacific Ocean - often outside of Canada. The key facts were summarized by the Court as follows: [ 3 ] The “Cable Innovator” , and its predecessor vessels, have been based in Victoria Harbour in Victoria, British Columbia, for many years. Global Marine asserts that this has been the cas
