The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has submitted the Species at Risk Act-compliant Fisheries Act Authorization application to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, a future marine container terminal in Delta, B.C.
“With this submission, we are one step closer to delivering one of Canada’s most important trade-enabling infrastructure projects—accommodating Canada’s growing trade and delivering value to our customers,” the VFPA said in a press release on October 28. “The project will increase container trade capacity by more than 30% on Canada’s west coast, enabling the efficient and reliable trade of $100 billion in goods annually that Canadian consumers and businesses rely on. Construction is anticipated to begin in the late 2020s, with completion in the mid-2030s.”
As part of the application the port authority completed a comprehensive assessment of potential impacts on fish and fish habitats near the future Roberts Bank Terminal 2, including extensive technical work and consultation with nearly 50 First Nations.
The application describes the avoidance, mitigation and offsetting measures that will result in an overall net productivity gain for fish and fish habitat and supports a conclusion that the project will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of southern resident killer whales. The port authority is advancing an offsetting plan totalling approximately 102 hectares, including First Nations priority projects, that will benefit key species such as juvenile Chinook salmon.
(Artist rendering of RBT2 project)
