Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Commercial shipping in the transboundary Salish Sea generates underwater noise, disturbances, and pollution that impact endangered Southern Resident killer whales, other marine species, and humans. The risks also include ship strikes, accidents, and oil spills.
The 2024 Salish Sea Vessel Traffic Projections documents 23 new or expanding terminal and refinery projects that are proposed, permitted, or recently completed. Ten of these projects could add at least 2,005 annual ocean-going vessel transits to Salish Sea ports —an 18% increase in large commercial vessel traffic compared to 2023. This presentation will examine shipping impacts, risks, and potential solutions, focusing on two Canadian projects that account for over 60% of the projected traffic increase: the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Roberts Bank Terminal 2.
Commercial shipping in the transboundary Salish Sea generates underwater noise, disturbances, and pollution that impact endangered Southern Resident killer whales, other marine species, and humans. The risks also include ship strikes, accidents, and oil spills.
The 2024 Salish Sea Vessel Traffic Projections documents 23 new or expanding terminal and refinery projects that are proposed, permitted, or recently completed. Ten of these projects could add at least 2,005 annual ocean-going vessel transits to Salish Sea ports —an 18% increase in large commercial vessel traffic compared to 2023. This presentation will examine shipping impacts, risks, and potential solutions, focusing on two Canadian projects that account for over 60% of the projected traffic increase: the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Roberts Bank Terminal 2.
