Canadian Coast Guard Information Kit

Maritime Security

The role of Maritime Security is to meet government expectations for a departmental contribution to national security by means of proactive leadership and management of the maritime security file within Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) does not have an explicit mandate for maritime security. The agency’s involvement in maritime security is based on its obligation under the Oceans Act to provide ships, aircraft and other marine services in support of federal maritime priorities.

The Coast Guard’s primary role is to provide vessels and shore based infrastructure to:

• aid in developing an awareness of possible maritime security threats;
• provide support for on-water enforcement and responsiveness; and
• support the safety and security of Canadians.

CCG Maritime Security, therefore, supports a compilation of initiatives aimed at providing value-added service solutions to various government departments and agencies mandated to provide security and enforcement within Canada. In conjunction with these departments and agencies, CCG contributes to the analysis and creation of actionable intelligence in support of enhanced maritime and national security. The Maritime Security group is also responsible for the effective development and implementation of strategies within DFO, consistent with the federal government’s priorities concerning the enhancement of maritime security. Some of the individual initiatives are listed below.

In support of an enhanced level of maritime domain awareness, the CCG contributes to maritime security through the operation of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and the development of the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system. AIS involves the surveillance and identification of vessels approaching and operating within the Great Lakes and up to 40 nautical miles from Canada’s east and west coasts. The LRIT system will collect positional data on Canadian flag vessels, international vessels destined for Canadian ports, and vessels transiting within 1,000 nautical miles of Canada’s shores.

The Coast Guard also participates in the three Marine Security Operations Centres, designed to generate maritime situational awareness by combining the knowledge and skill sets of the government agencies engaged in, or in support of, marine security. The Coast Guard’s role in these centres is to help detect, assess, and support the response to any threat to marine security that could affect the safety, security, environment or economy of Canada.

The Coast Guard is also involved in the Maritime Security Enforcement Team program with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The Coast Guard is responsible for vessel operation in this program, while the RCMP is responsible for all law enforcement activities. This partnership delivers a dedicated security enforcement capacity on the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Seaway. Here can be seen, as in all above activities, the overarching objective to position DFO as a value-added and proactive partner in the delivery of multi-agency solutions in the enhancement of Canada’s maritime security.