The Federal Fisheries Department is throwing new light on its relationship with Oceangate, the American company behind the Deepsea Titan submerible that implored southern terranova in 2023, killing the five people on board.
The department confirmed Thursday that in the summer of 2021, a staff member approached a “associated with oceangate” boat to participate as an observer during a mission in Newfoundland.
“The purpose was to learn more about Oceangate,” the department said in an email.
“At the end of the mission, it was determined that [OceanGate’s] The priorities did not align with the scientific objectives of the department, and no other relationship was followed. “
No other details were provided on the trip.
When asked if any federal employee raised security concerns about Oceangate, a department spokesman said that the security for submersibles does not fall within the department’s mandate.
“The department did not participate in the risk assessment or the operational supervision of any subsequent mission,” said the spokesman in an email.
Earlier this week, the US Coast Guard published a report that concluded the tragedy on June 18, 2023, could have been avoided if the Oceangate CEO, Stockton Rush, would have given security warnings and demand independent inspections and submersible certification.
Rush was among those killed when Titan separated as he descended near Titanic, about four kilometers below the surface of the North Atlantic.
The security procedures in Oceangate, a private company based in the state of Washington, were “critically defective” and there were “obvious disparities” between security protocols and real practices, according to the Coast Guard report.
The 300 -page report also revealed that in May 2021, the Canada Fishing Department had written a “support letter” to Rush, saying that the department wanted to collaborate with its company to evaluate its submersibles for scientific research.
Only parts of the letter were included in the Coast Guard report.
The fishing department sent a copy of the letter on Wednesday, along with a statement that suggested that its initial discussions with Oceangate were routine.
“Fishing and Oceans Canada [DFO] Routinely expresses interest in scientific collaboration with a wide variety of potential partners, “said a spokesman on Wednesday in an email.
“At the beginning of 2021, DFO had a series of exploratory discussions with Oceangate. [May 2021] A letter was sent to summarize the discussions that took place and the potential for the department to work with the company, from 2021, to determine the applicability of its marine research systems. “
The letter, dated May 19, 2021, makes it clear that department officials were eager to work with Rush and his team.
“The Dfo Maritimes region is satisfied with the discussions with Oceangate, the offer to participate in 2021 and the unique opportunity offered to Canadian scientists and conservation efforts.”
The letter also mentions the possible financing of Ottawa.
The department spokesman also confirmed in Wednesday’s email that there were discussions about having a member board of the submersible personnel in an expedition to Titanic, almost 700 kilometers south of Terranova. But he said that never happened.
The department did not explain why the relationship with Oceangate finally ended or mentioned its collaboration in another container until it was pressed for more details the next day.
In addition to DFO’s support letter in 2021, the United States Coast Guard investigation did not find evidence of any real collaboration or financing.
The implosion of the submersible also killed the French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the British adventurer Hamish Harding and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.
In June, the Canada Transport Security Board said the Independent Agency had completed its research report, which was being reviewed at that time.
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