NAVWARN details

Effective June 1 to October 31, 2026, the ECHO Program voluntary route alteration is active for all tugs transiting the Canadian inshore area of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to reduce underwater noise for at-risk whales.  

If it is safe and operationally feasible to do so, tugs are requested to navigate either through the outbound shipping lane or the inshore route alteration zone, while maintaining a buffer distance of 1,000 meters from the traffic separation scheme (TSS). The inshore route alteration zone is 1,500 meters wide and occurs between 123-52-21.192 W, 48-18-37.332 N and 124-31-33.378 W, 48-28-53.316 N, covering approximately 28 NM.  

The ECHO Program is led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in collaboration with government agencies, Indigenous communities, industry partners and environmental groups. 

For more detailed information, refer to the following internet web address: 

https://www.portvancouver.com/echo/