IOPC Funds participates in claims exercise in Vancouver, Canada

The IOPC Funds contributed to a two-day tabletop exercise on 3 and 4 September 2025 on the handling of claims and compensation for oil pollution damage, facilitated by TRIOX Environmental Emergencies and ITOPF.

The event, which took place in Vancouver, brought together representatives from the four core organisations involved in maritime spill compensation: the Ship Fund of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, the IOPC Funds, the International Group of P&I Associations (International Group), and ITOPF.

Participants worked through a scenario involving a major oil spill resulting from a collision, allowing the paying parties to determine how to interact and agree on a timeline for response and compensation.  Each day concluded with an open forum with additional participants from a wide range of Canadian authorities and agencies that would be involved in responding to a ship-source oil pollution incident.

The workshop focused on establishing a coordinated and practical framework for how these organisations interact in the event of a maritime incident in Canada. Key themes included collaborative claims handling, equitable compensation processes, and culturally informed engagement with coastal communities, including Indigenous Peoples.

The IOPC Funds and Ship and Rail Compensation Canada have worked closely for over 30 years, and the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2023 to enhance preparedness, cooperation, and efficiency in the handling of claims, and to formalise their respective roles in any future oil pollution incident involving both parties.

Under the MoU, claims for oil pollution damage in Canada can be submitted directly to Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, who pays the compensation and subsequently recovers the costs from the shipowner’s insurer and the IOPC Funds.