Due to an unusual increase in the presence of North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Government of Canada has imposed a temporary speed limit in an area in the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence where Oceanex vessels must transit while operating between Montreal and St. John’s. A copy of the notice to vessel operators has been attached and may also be found at the website below.

http://marinfo.gc.ca/en/avisradio/detail.asp?region=Q&annee=2017&no_avis=1189

In order to comply with this new temporary regulation, Oceanex vessels must operate at reduced speeds during a portion of each voyage between Montreal and St. John’s. In an effort to mitigate the impact of this on our fixed day weekly schedule, vessels must now transit at faster speeds when operating outside of the affected zone. While scheduled departure times from Montreal are not expected to be impacted, vessel arrival times in Montreal and St. John’s will be delayed.

Operating at increased speeds significantly increases vessel fuel consumption and modified terminal operating times will increase labour costs loading and discharging cargo in port. As a result, Oceanex is implementing a temporary Marine Protection Surcharge of 4.0% of freight charges on future invoices related to the movement of goods to and from Newfoundland over Oceanex’s Montreal service. This temporary surcharge will enter into effect on the next sailings from St. John’s and Montreal on the Montreal service.

Please note that this temporary surcharge will be removed as soon as the requirement to reduce speed in our area of operation is lifted by the Government of Canada. Updates regarding when this is anticipated to occur will be provided as further information becomes available from the Government of Canada.

The Government of Canada and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are monitoring right whale activity in the affected area on a daily basis and intend to provide regular updates to vessel operators in the region.

As a marine transportation operator, Oceanex is cognizant of its responsibility to promote navigation safety and protection of the marine environment. As such, Oceanex is taking the necessary action to comply with the government order while still providing its customers with reliable transportation solutions. Oceanex has advised the Government of Canada of the significant impact of this temporary regulation and encourages you to raise any of your concerns regarding this issue with your local Federal Government of Canada representative. For inquiries related to services that Oceanex provides to your organization, please contact your Oceanex Account Manager.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to continuing to provide you with reliable transportation solutions throughout Eastern Canada.