What's protecting the coast now?

Three moratoria currently prevent oil drilling on the B.C. coast: federal and provincial government moratoria, as well as a First Nations suspension on oil and gas development.

Based on a request from the British Columbia government, the Government of Canada has launched a review process to examine its moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling, with a focus on the Queen Charlotte Basin’s development potential. The review process consists of three phases:

A science review, which was conducted by the Royal Society of Canada (a report from the review was tabled in February 2004), a public review that is currently underway, and a process of First Nations engagement.

Without the moratorium, the entire B.C. coast would be open to offshore drilling.

The B.C. government strongly supports offshore oil and gas drilling and can unilaterally lift its own moratorium. Without the federal moratorium, oil and gas companies would be able to conduct exploration and drilling along most of the coast.

Not all the potential drilling sites are in remote locations. Some oil and gas leases are off of Vancouver near the mouth of the Fraser River, the largest salmon-producing river in North America.

Four hydrocarbon basins are being considered for oil and gas exploration:

·         Queen Charlotte Basin

·         Winona Basin

·         Georgia Basin

·         Tofino Basin

Together, these areas encompass most of the province's coastline.

Next >> Reasons to keep the moratorium