Transport Minister Marc Garneau says efforts to protect Canada鈥檚 coastlines from vessel spills includes an 鈥渦nprecedented level of collaboration鈥� with Indigenous communities.

Garneau announced a pilot project under the $1.5-billion ocean protection plan to help Indigenous communities monitor vessel traffic while speaking to the Chamber of Shipping in Vancouver on Tuesday.

The project is being launched this fall in 10 communities including Haida and Gitga鈥檃t Nations on British Columbia鈥檚 north coast to test and develop new maritime awareness information systems in order to have a better understanding of the traffic around them.

鈥淭he second step, of course, is that the First Nations will be involved in the response because very often they鈥檙e the first ones there anyway and they have an intimate knowledge of the local waters,鈥� he said.

Exact plans on how to improve emergency response, protect ecosystems and managing vessel traffic are being developed between government agencies and First Nations, he said.

鈥淲e value and need their knowledge and expertise to be successful,鈥� Gauneau said.

Responding to questions about how the new Indigenous rights framework announced by the government in February should be approached by sectors working with both parties, Garneau told the shipping industry to be 鈥渙pen-minded.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a question of respect, it鈥檚 a question of actually acting,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome organizations will be involved more than others 鈥� but it really, literally, is a new way of thinking about how we achieve reconciliation in this country.鈥�

Garneau said $1.2 million has also been awarded to Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc. of North Vancouver for equipment to support the coast guard in spill clean-up.

The announcement comes days after thousands of people in B.C. protested the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which would increase tanker traffic to the Burrard Inlet.

The project must already adhere to 157 conditions put forward by the National Energy Board, Garneau said, and the oceans protections plan will also contribute to increased marine safety.

Garneau said the pipeline expansion has been approved by the federal government, and while it doesn鈥檛 have unanimous public support, most Canadians want to see it built.

鈥淲e think the majority of British Columbians are in agreement with us,鈥� he said.

The Canadian Press