The Canadian government on Thursday approved major port expansion on the southern coast of British Columbia. For the project to go through, the port must meet 370 legal conditions on environmental and marine life protection. These include installing infrastructure to allow for the safe passage of fish and noise level limitations for the protection of killer whales.
The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, will play a vital role in decongesting the West Coast ports and the nation’s economic growth. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority handles trade worth CAD 275 billion (USD 204 billion) every year. The Roberts Bank expansion will witness a new three-berth marine container terminal construction near the mouth of the Fraser River and will boost the port’s capacity by 50 per cent.
Environmentalists have been opposing the project as the project could harm endangered species like Southern resident killer whales and chinook salmon. However, with the 370 conditions set before the project, the federal government is investing in protecting endangered life.
