Nautical Institute of British Columbia Conference

MANAGING MARINE RISKS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Canada is a maritime nation whose prosperity relies on maritime trade.

This is particularly evident on the west coast, in which most of our links with the Indo-Pacific area are situated. The developing energy trade to this region from BC is adding to the complexity of a marine environment that is already full with diverse and sometimes competing interests. The success with which increasingly varied users will access the marine environment will depend largely on the manner in which they each understand and practise risk management.

NIBC proposes for our 2017 conference to address the importance of marine risk management in the Pacific North-west region.

This topic affords several avenues of approach, from theoretical and academic to practical and operational:

• How do we teach mariners and industrial partners to recognize risk, and to learn from failure to anticipate known and unknown risks?
• What is the role of simulation in exploring the boundaries of risk? How do we define tolerable risk …and answer those who would advocate “zero-risk” policies?
• When misfortune does arise, how do we act to minimize impact and honour (not criminalize) those who have done their best in a bad situation?
• And what is the role of policy, regulation and technology in risk mitigation?

This topic aligns with the strategic priorities of the Nautical Institute’s Five-Year Plan in these subject areas: Navigation safety, Competency, Mentoring, Command, Usability of systems, and Manning/Fatigue.

This topic could be addressed in four sessions over two days as follows (to be refined into specific session structures of briefs and panel discussions depending on speakers):

1. Define the subject, provide historical and anticipated context for the PNW marine industry
2. Examine theoretical and practical structures/processes of risk assessment and mitigation; interpretation and application by different sectors of the marine industry in the PNW
3. Training & Command responsibility: how do we train to recognize and avoid risk?
4. Dealing with adverse outcomes, operational and legal considerations; public communications/addressing disinformation