Conference on Shortsea Shipping to be Held in Vancouver

The North American Conference on Shortsea Shipping will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from April 18 to April 20, 2006. The Conference is the result of collaboration between Canada, the United States, and Mexico following the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on Shortsea Shipping in 2003. The Conference also represents a commitment between the three nations under the Security and Prosperity Partnership, a trilateral action plan designed to increase the security, prosperity, and quality of life in North America. The Conference is intended to promote shortsea shipping and to facilitate discussion of the contribution from the marine mode within an integrated North American transportation system. Through the exchange of knowledge and ideas, the three nations will endeavour to enhance the understanding of the advantages and challenges associated with shortsea shipping. By facilitating new discussions and building upon previous efforts, the conference is designed to lay the foundation for all participants to begin developing a shared shortsea shipping strategy.