Marine transportation occurrences in 2020

The TSB gathers and uses transportation occurrence data during the course of its investigations to analyze safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian marine transportation system.

It should be noted that certain characteristics of the data constrain statistical analysis and identification of emerging trends. These include the small totals of accidents and incidents, the large variability in the data from year to year, and changes to regulations and definitions. The reader is cautioned to keep these limitations in mind when viewing this summary to avoid drawing conclusions that cannot be supported by statistical analysis.

The 2020 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the Transportation Safety Board Regulations in force during that calendar year.

The statistics presented here reflect the TSB Marine Safety Information System (MARSIS) database at 25 February 2021. Since the occurrence data are constantly being updated in the live database, the statistics may change slightly over time.

Also, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified.

Accidents

Overview of accidents and casualties

In 2020, 262 marine accidents^{Footnote 1} were reported to the TSB, down from the 2019 total of 267 and below the 10-year (2010–2019) average of 289 (Figure 1). In 2020 the proportion of shipping accidents (as opposed to accidents aboard ship) was 84% of marine accidents, comparable to the previous 10-year average of 82%.

There were 219 shipping accidents in 2020, up from the 2019 total of 207 but down 8% from the 2010–2019 average of 238. The majority of shipping accidents involved fishing vessels (33%), followed by solid cargo vessels (26%).

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In 2020, there were 43 accidents aboard ship, down from 60 in 2019 and down from the 2010–2019 average of 51. The majority of accidents aboard ship occurred on cargo vessels (35%) and fishing vessels (35%).

Casualties (tables 1, 6 and 7)

In 2020, 18 marine fatalities were reported, up from the 17 fatalities reported in 2019, and above the annual average of 15.4 in the 2010–2019 time period. Of the 18 fatalities in 2020, 12 were the result of 4 shipping accidents, while the remaining 6 fatalities resulted from 5 accidents aboard ship (Figure 2).

Of note, all of the 12 shipping accident fatalities in 2020 involved commercial fishing vessels, and 4 of the 6 fatalities that ensued from accidents aboard ship occurred aboard commercial fishing vessels. These data indicate that more needs to be done to improve safety in the commercial fishing industry.

Serious injuries in 2020 totalled 41, down from 53 in 2019 and down from the annual average of 50 from 2010 to 2019. Thirty-nine of the 41 serious injuries (95%) resulted from accidents aboard ship, and the remaining 2 resulted from shipping accidents.

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Shipping accidents

Type of accident (Table 1)

As illustrated in Figure 3, the most frequent types of shipping accidents in 2020 were collision (43%), grounding (21%), and fire/explosion (16%). The total number of collisions (95) was 21% more than the 10-year (2010–2019) average of 79, the number of groundings (47) was 28% below the 10-year average of 65, and the number of fire/explosion accidents (36) was 4% below the 10-year average of 37.

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Type of vessel (Table 1)

Seventy-five fishing vessels were involved in shipping accidents, up from 59 in 2019, but down from the 2010–2019 average of 87 (Figure 4). Fishing vessels represented almost one-third (30%) of all vessels involved in shipping accidents.

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Geographical region (Table 2)

In 2020, 39% of shipping accidents occurred in the Pacific region, 32% in the Central region, and 24% in the Atlantic region. The remaining 5% of shipping accidents were in foreign waters.^{Footnote 2} In the Pacific region in 2020, shipping accidents were 11% below the 2010–2019 average, in the Central region shipping accidents were unchanged from the 2010–2019 average, and in the Atlantic region shipping accidents were 16% below the 2010–2019 average (Figure 5).

Thirty-eight fishing vessels were involved in shipping accidents in the Atlantic region, which is below the 2010–2019 average of 45 fishing vessels. Twenty-three fishing vessels were involved in shipping accidents in the Pacific region, below the 2010–2019 average of 34 (Table 2).

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Vessel flag (tables 1, 3, and 4)

In 2020, 83% of the 254 vessels involved in shipping accidents reported to the TSB were Canadian-flag vessels. Of these Canadian-flag vessels, 51% were commercial non-fishing vessels and 37% were fishing vessels; the remaining 12% were non-commercial vessels, pleasure craft or service vessels.

According to information provided by Transport Canada, marine activity for Canadian commercial non-fishing vessels over 15 gross tons (GT) (excluding passenger vessels and cruise ships) was 11 071 thousand commercial vessel-km in 2020, which is 17% above the 2015–2019 average.^{Footnote 3} This yields a rate of 5.6 shipping accidents per million commercial vessel-km in 2020, lower than the prior 5-year average of 5.7. (Note that a 6-year series is too short to test for trends.)

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According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), there were an estimated 11 908 active fishing vessels in Canada in 2020.^{Footnote 4} The shipping accident rate for Canadian-flag fishing vessels (Figure 7) was 6.2 shipping accidents per 1000 active fishing vessels in 2020, above the rate of 4.7 in 2019, and above the 2010–2019 average of 6.0.

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For Canadian-flag fishing vessels, the most frequently reported shipping accident types in 2020 were groundings (36%), fire/explosions (26%), collisions (21%), and sinkings (13%). Canadian-flag commercial non-fishing vessels were most often involved in collisions (62%) or groundings (14%).

In 2020, 42 foreign-flag vessels were involved in shipping accidents in Canadian waters, 39 of which were commercial non-fishing vessels. According to information provided by Transport Canada,^{Footnote 5} marine activity for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels over 15 GT was 19 570 thousand commercial vessel-km in 2020, above the 2015–2019 average of 18 781 thousand commercial vessel-km. This yields an accident rate of 2.0 shipping accidents involving commercial foreign-flag vessels over 15 GT per million commercial vessel-km, above the 2015–2019 average of 1.7.

Vessels lost (tables 1 and 5)

In 2020, 13 vessels were reported lost, up from 8 in 2019 but down from the 2010–2019 average of 19. Eleven of the 13 vessels lost in 2020 were fishing vessels. Eight of the 13 vessels lost were less than 15 GT (including 1 with unknown tonnage). In the past 10 years (2011 to 2020), fishing vessels under 60 GT have accounted for 62% of Canadian vessels lost (tables 1 and 5).

Incidents

Overview of incidents

In 2020, 925 marine incidents were reported to the TSB, down from the total of 948 in 2019, but above the annual 10-year (2010–2019) average of 643.^{Footnote 6} Incidents in the Atlantic region (372) represented 40% of all marine incidents, followed by 31% (284) in the Central region, and 28% (257) in the Pacific region. The remaining 1% (12) of reported incidents occurred in foreign waters (Table 2).

The majority (82%) of reportable incidents involved the total failure of any machinery or technical system (Figure 8).^{Footnote 7} The largest proportion of these incidents (44%) occurred in the Atlantic region, while the greatest proportion of incidents involving risk of collision (50%) occurred in the Central region (data not shown). The types of vessel most often involved in total failure of any machinery or technical systems incidents in 2020 were fishing vessels (52%) and solid cargo vessels (25%) (data not shown).

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Data tables

Definitions

The following definitions apply to marine occurrences that are required to be reported pursuant to the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the TSB Regulations.

Marine occurrence

• any accident or incident associated with the operation of a ship and
• any situation or condition that the Board has reasonable grounds to believe could, if left unattended, induce an accident or incident described above.

Marine accident

An accident resulting directly from the operation of a ship other than a pleasure craft, where

Accident aboard ship

• a person is killed or sustains a serious injury as a result of
  • boarding, being on board or falling overboard from the ship, or
  • coming into direct contact with any part of the ship or its contents;

Shipping accident

• the ship
  • sinks, founders or capsizes,
  • is involved in a collision (includes strikings and contacts)
  • sustains a fire or an explosion,
  • goes aground,
  • sustains damage that affects its seaworthiness or renders it unfit for its purpose,
  • is missing or abandoned

Marine incident

• a person falls overboard from the ship, or
• the ship
  • makes unforeseen contact with the bottom without going aground,
  • fouls a utility cable or pipe, or an underwater pipeline,
  • is involved in a risk of a collision,
  • sustains a total failure of
    • the navigation equipment if the failure poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment,
    • the main or auxiliary machinery, or
    • the propulsion, steering, or deck machinery if the failure poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment;
• all or part of the ship's cargo shifts or falls overboard; or
• is anchored, grounded or beached to avoid an occurrence,
• a crew member whose duties are directly related to the safe operation of the ship is unable to perform their duties as a result of a physical incapacitation which poses a threat to the safety of persons, property or the environment;
• there is an accidental release on board or from the ship consisting of a quantity of dangerous goods or an emission of radiation that is greater than the quantity or emission levels specified in Part 8 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Serious injury

1. a fracture of any bone, except simple fractures of fingers, toes or the nose,
2. lacerations that cause severe hemorrhage or nerve, muscle or tendon damage,
3. an injury to an internal organ,
4. second or third degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5% of the body surface,
5. a verified exposure to infectious substances or injurious radiation, or
6. an injury that is likely to require hospitalization.

Vessels covered

This report covers commercial vessels that include all vessels either registered or licensed to operate commercially. Pleasure craft occurrences are not normally included unless they also involved a commercial vessel.

Vessel categories

• Commercial Vessels: include cargo vessels, ferries, passenger vessels, tugs and barges.
• Fishing Vessels: include vessels involved in commercial fishing.
• Other Vessels: include research vessels, oil exploration, exploitation and support vessels, government vessels and pleasure craft.

Miscellaneous

Gross tons (grt)

A measure of vessel capacity in cubic feet of the spaces within the hull, and of enclosed spaces above deck available for cargo, stores, fuel, passengers and crew, with certain exclusions. One hundred cubic feet is equivalent to one gross ton.

Movement

A vessel's travel segment between ports with at least one port being a domestic port.

Regional limits

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Pacific Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories south of the 70th parallel, as well as the waters adjacent to these provinces and territories.

Central Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (including the Magdalen Islands), the territory of Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories north of the 70th parallel, as well as James Bay, Hudson Bay, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Great Lakes waterways up to the Canada–U.S. border.

Atlantic Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the waters adjacent to these provinces.