Canada’s federal Fisheries Department has acknowledged that it once explored a scientific partnership with OceanGate, the U.S.-based company behind the Titan submersible that tragically imploded in 2023, killing all five people on board during a descent to the Titanic wreck.
In a statement issued Thursday, the department confirmed that in summer 2021, a staff member joined a vessel affiliated with OceanGate as an observer during a mission off the coast of Newfoundland. The department clarified that the purpose of this participation was to “learn more about OceanGate.”
However, following the mission, the department concluded that OceanGate’s objectives were not aligned with its own scientific goals, and no further collaboration was pursued.
The department declined to provide additional details about the observer mission and did not respond to questions regarding whether any federal employees had raised safety concerns about OceanGate’s Titanic expeditions.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Coast Guard released a scathing report on the June 18, 2023, Titan disaster. The 300-page investigation concluded that the implosion was preventable and criticized OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush—who died in the incident—for ignoring repeated safety warnings and failing to seek independent certification of the submersible.
According to the report, OceanGate’s safety protocols were described as “critically flawed,” with significant discrepancies between official procedures and actual operations.
The investigation also revealed that in May 2021, the Fisheries Department had issued a letter of support to Rush, expressing interest in working with OceanGate to explore the applicability of its submersibles for marine research. The department sent a copy of that letter to The Canadian Press on Wednesday.
In the letter, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) described discussions with OceanGate as promising and referred to the opportunity for Canadian scientists to collaborate with the company as “unique.” It also hinted at potential funding opportunities from the federal government.
“DFO Maritimes Region is pleased with the discussions with OceanGate, the offer to participate in 2021, and the unique opportunity being offered to Canadian scientists and conservation efforts,” the May 19, 2021, letter stated.
A department spokesperson later clarified that while there were talks about placing a Canadian staff member aboard the Titan on a mission to the Titanic—located approximately 700 kilometres off Newfoundland—that plan never materialized.