More than 300,000 oil-covered seabirds die each year off the Atlantic Coast of Canada where more than 10,000 ships travel every year between North America and Europe. While only a small fraction of these vessels spill or deliberately dump oil, the environmental toll is enormous. Canada’s I-STOP Project (Integrated Satellite Tracking of Polluters) is now actively monitoring our waters using RADARSAT.Night and day, in all weather

Conventional monitoring of Canada’s territorial waters by aircraft is costly and time-consuming. It’s impossible to monitor every ship in our waters using aircraft. This is where satellites come in, for they complement traditional air surveillance. But unlike aircraft and optical satellites, RADARSAT operates during storms, through cloud cover, and

at night-that is, in conditions that blind optical imagers. And RADARSAT is quick to respond, which is essential when polluters try to flee the scene.

A strong deterrent to polluters

Through the I-STOP project, RADARSAT scans for anomalies on the water surface that may indicate oil spills. Technical experts examine images, an aircraft is sent to confirm the spill, identify the offending ship, and gather evidence in support of future legal action. With readily available data from space, the enforcement work can be completed in hours.

The shipping industry knows that Canada is serious about protecting its waters and is using sophisticated satellites to track illegal actions. And now, the successful I-STOP Project has attracted the attention of other nations interested in protecting wildlife, coastal regions, and oceans.

I-STOP partners protect the environment

Several government departments, including the Canadian Space Agency, Environment Canada, Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, the Coast Guard, and National Defence, as well as Canadian company MDA Geospatial Services, actively support the I-STOP Project.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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