On July 13, the Canadian Coast Guard officially dedicated into service the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) John Cabot.
This is the third of three offshore fisheries science vessels built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. These unique vessels serve as floating laboratories outfitted with modern research equipment to collect the data needed for the sustainable management of Canada’s oceans and aquatic resources.
A dockside ceremony was held at the vessel’s homeport, the Canadian Coast Guard’s Atlantic Region headquarters in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The ceremony included the traditional breaking of a bottle on the ship’s bow by the vessel sponsor, Dr. M. Joanne Morgan.
In maritime tradition, the vessel sponsor is a civilian who participates in a vessel naming ceremony and takes an ongoing interest in the vessel’s operations. The Canadian Coast Guard is proud to have Dr. Morgan as the vessel sponsor for the CCGS John Cabot.
Dr. Morgan is a retired Fisheries and Oceans Canada Research Scientist. She was also the first woman to chair the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization’s Scientific Council.
Like all Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the CCGS John Cabot is also equipped to support environmental response and search and rescue operations, when needed.
The offshore fisheries science vessels are the first class of ships to be built by Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards, as part of the non-combat package under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
The three new vessels are replacing existing ships on the east and west coasts of Canada. They will support scientific research such as:
- fishing and acoustic surveys of fish and invertebrates;
- collecting information on the abundance and distribution of marine species and
- collecting data on marine ecosystems and the impacts of human activity on fisheries resources and ecosystem health.
