Canada’s oceans get $1.5 billion over five years for marine protection plan

VANCOUVER— The federal government announced a $1.5-billion marine safety plan Monday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says will make Canada a world leader in protecting the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

The money will be spent over five years starting in 2017-18 and includes funding to create a marine safety system, restoring marine ecosystems and using new methods and research to clean up oil spills.

Trudeau said the funding will strengthen the Canadian Coast Guard, get tough on pollution from industry, fund coastal habitat restoration and create new legislation to increase responsibility for vessel owners.

The announcement comes just a day after a barge flipped and sank not far from the site on British Columbia’s central coast, where a tug ran aground last month, spilling more than 100,000 litres of diesel fuel from its tanks.

The prime minister says because Canada has the longest coastline in the world, it’s vital to have a plan to ensure protection in modern and advanced ways.