Hon. Percy E. Downe: Your Honour, my question today is for the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, and I will not have a supplementary.

Senator Galvez, the tourism industry was one of the most hard hit economic sectors during the pandemic. Planes were grounded, and ships were docked. As the world resumes its activities and people seek to travel again, familiar concerns are rising.

While it is important for tourism to once again provide a vital source of revenue to many regions in the country, it must also be done in a sustainable manner.

This brings me to a concern that was recently raised by a Prince Edward Islander regarding the weak waste water dumping regulations for cruise ships in Canadian waters.

The Canada Shipping Act, which regulates marine transportation and ship-sourced pollution, is far less strong in terms of federal dumping regulations than its U.S. counterpart. Cruise ships travelling north from the United States have an incentive to dump an enormous amount of waste water and toxic discharge in Canadian waters. Of particular concern to this Prince Edward Islander was the pollution from cruise ships caused by scrubbers, which are devices installed to remove exhaust gases from the heavy bunker oil used as marine fuel that create waste water containing a cocktail of chemicals.

Cruise ship pollution also includes sewage from toilets and grey water from sinks, showers and laundries. Could you please advise the Senate if the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources would consider studying the issue of Canada’s weak pollution regulations for cruise ships in Canadian waters, as well as the enforcement of the existing regulations?