Shipping Traffic Analysis and Risk Mitigation Measures for the West Coast of Haida Gwaii

On contract to the Council of the Haida Nation, Nuka Research analyzed AIS data and summarized policy options related to offshore vessel routing for the outer coast of Haida Gwaii. Research questions were driven by a multi-stakeholder process led by the Council and Transport Canada under Canada’s Proactive Vessel Management pilot program, with information briefed to representatives of different maritime sectors, government, and the Haida Nation at a series of meetings. The final report describes the range of offshore routing measures considered by the group and their potential applicability to Pacific waters off the west coast of Haida Gwaii. AIS data were used to identify and quantify the numbers of different types of vessels that would have been affected by voluntary measures to encourage vessels to stay farther offshore when transiting.