Fisheries and Oceans Canada
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
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Who We Serve
Producing trusted and authoritative information of unparalleled accuracy, CHS answers the needs of individual boaters and international shippers, fishers, industry, government and non-governmental organizations.
Commercial Shippers
Over 22,000 commercial vessels ply Canadian waters. Commercial shippers rely on our charts and publications to ensure the safe and smooth navigation of their goods. In fact, the Canada Shipping Act requires that all vessels carry up-to-date CHS charts and related publications.
Recreational Boaters
There are over two million small boats and personal watercraft registered in Canada. This means that about one in six households owns at least one boat, whether it's a sailing boat, fishing boat, inboard motor, outboard motor, rowboat, or canoe. Recreational boaters rely on our charts to navigate safely and avoid the possibility of grounding or damaging their boats or injuring themselves or their passengers.
Fishers
Commercial and recreational fishers rely on our charts and publications, not only for safe navigation, but also as tools to help locate fish. CHS’s classifications of the sea floor and contours, for example, can help fishers locate fish populations and track migrations. Special nautical charts have also been developed exclusively for recreational fishers and boaters.
Canada’s Defence
CHS provides hydrographic services to Canada’s Department of National Defence and to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries through various agreements. In addition to navigational information, CHS provides special surveys and charts for defence purposes, such as mine countermeasure warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and submarine navigation.
Oil, Gas and Mineral Exploration
This type of exploration requires precise measurements and accurate forecasts of sea and lake levels, currents, tides, bottom contours, and bottom types. Precisely the type of information CHS provides.
Climate Change
Information collected by the Permanent Water Level Gauging network of CHS is essential in measuring sea level rise, an important aspect of climate change.
Marine Environmental Protection
Groups responsible for environmental protection in the event of a marine oil spill or similar disaster need a detailed knowledge of the surface water movements in order to respond effectively. CHS provides this expertise. CHS’s promotion of safe navigation also provides further protection for our marine beds and sea life.
Search and Rescue
The Canadian Coast Guard and other organizations involved in search and rescue operations rely on CHS’s updated charts, tide and current tables, sailing directions, and more.
"In recent years, with new technologies and new approaches, the work of CHS has evolved in fascinating ways. Multibeam technologies for example, reveal more of the oceans. The information they provide is of value to a broad community of scientific, commercial and recreational users.
The emergence of ecosystem-based management has had an impact as well. Historically, fishers were the predominant users of the oceans; today we have oil and gas companies, tourism operators, the shipping industry and others all out on the waters, all having an impact. CHS and Ocean Science at Fisheries and Oceans Canada look at those various impacts and how they inter-relate, putting the pieces together so we can comprehend the full system.
Positively, this has increased cooperation and collaboration among all parties involved with Canada’s waterways: we’re seeing the knowledge of many disciplines come together, and that has the ultimate benefit of deepening our understanding."
Wendy Watson-Wright, Ph.D.
Assistant Deputy Minister for Science
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Active Around the World
Since 1951, Canada has been an active member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), working with countries around the world to develop international charting standards as well as new technologies for surveying and mapping the sea floor.
Marine transportation is a global activity and consistency among products and services is essential. Uniform standards allow for integration of hydrographic information across scientific and international boundaries which contribute to better overall understanding of the coastal and offshore environment. CHS's close association with IHO ensures that Canadian navigational products and hydrographic data adhere well to international standards.
