Bill C-244: Clean Coasts Act

This bill primarily affects businesses involved in marine shipping, vessel ownership, boat sales and brokerage, commercial fishing, and marine salvage operations, particularly along Canada's coasts in provinces like British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. If you own or sell boats or ships, you would need to verify that any buyer has the financial resources and intent to properly maintain or eventually dispose of a vessel — essentially performing due diligence before any sale to avoid liability. Businesses that operate in or near Canadian marine waters, such as shipping companies, marine construction firms, or waste disposal operators, face broadened liability for allowing unauthorized disposal of substances at sea. Both small owner-operators with a single vessel and larger fleet operators would be affected, though the compliance burden of verifying buyer capability may weigh more heavily on smaller businesses selling older or lower-value vessels.