VICTORIA — The B.C. government has a new set of demands for Ottawa to help pay for the province’s cash-strapped ferry service, including a break on import fees for its Poland-built ships and a federal funding formula that could lessen fare hikes.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone outlined the province’s position to The Vancouver Sun on Friday, as B.C. and Ottawa politicians continued to spar over whether BC Ferries is eligible for federal financial assistance to help upgrade its terminals and build new ships.

Stone said he’s asked his federal counterparts to waive import tariffs on three intermediate-class vessels BC Ferries is building in Poland at a cost of $165 million. The first is scheduled to arrive in 2016.

“If the feds were to waive the duty that would otherwise be attached or imposed on those three ferries, that would save the ferry corporation about $50 million, which would have a dramatic effect on fare affordability,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to (federal transportation minister Lisa Raitt) on that and we’ve made our position well known inside the federal government.”

Ottawa waived nearly $120 million in duties paid by BC Ferries in 2010, after the corporation acquired four large ferries from Germany.

B.C. also wants Transport Canada to lessen the “inordinately high crew requirements” on some of its routes, which would mean cost savings from fewer staff on ships.

“We think there are millions of dollars of savings there,” Stone said. B.C. has far more crew required than on comparable routes in the Washington state or Alaska ferry systems, he said.

The B.C. government has also asked Ottawa for a better funding formula for BC Ferries, which would make funding comparable to the Atlantic ferry system.

Atlantic Canada’s ferry passengers get 350 times the federal subsidies of B.C. ferry passengers — or $493 per passenger for the Marine Atlantic system compared to $1.41 per passenger in B.C.

The maritime ferry deal is part of the terms of confederation, whereas B.C.’s ferry funding was part of a contract signed with Ottawa in 1977.

Stone said there needs to be “equity and fairness” when it comes to federal support for ferries on both coasts.

If Ottawa won’t budge on any of B.C.’s requests, then the province wants an increase to the annual $30-million federal operating subsidy for BC Ferries, Stone said. The exact increase has not been specified, he said.

B.C. is looking to Ottawa for the extra ferry support as it tries to reduce fare hikes on its ailing ferry system, after two years of cuts to routes on coastal communities.

BC Ferries is struggling with low ridership, rising costs and a $3-billion capital plan over the next 12 years to upgrade terminals and build new ships.

The preliminary ferry fare caps for 2016-2020 will be set later this month by the province’s independent ferry commissioner, who takes into account such things as how much support BC Ferries receives from the provincial and federal governments.

B.C. and Ottawa are locked in a confusing war of words over whether BC Ferries is eligible to apply for some of a $53-billion New Building Canada fund.