GOLD RIVER, BC, July 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous boats can pose threats to the environment, local communities, and economies. Through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada continues to take action to address problem vessels and ensure owner accountability.
Recently, the Canadian Coast Guard exercised its authority under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to issue a $13,500 fine, in the form of an administrative monetary penalty, to a vessel owner in British Columbia. On June 12, 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard issued a fine to the owner of the Muriel D II, a 40-foot wooden fishing vessel in Matchlee Bay near Gold River, British Columbia. The vessel was found to pose a hazard to the marine environment on the following criteria:
- The vessel was partially sunk in Matchlee Bay. It was moored without authorization to a Fisheries and Oceans Canada salmon enhancement net pen, a structure that is not designed to hold the strain of a sinking vessel.
- The net pen was also scheduled to be moved and used as a hatchery by the Conuma Creek Salmon Hatchery.
- The vessel posed a risk of completely sinking and polluting the nearby estuary.
The issuance of this fine comes after the vessel owner failed to comply with the Canadian Coast Guard's directions to remove the vessel and take all reasonable measures to prevent pollution from entering the marine environment by March 18, 2024. Due to the hazard posed by the sunken vessel, the Canadian Coast Guard had the Muriel D II removed from the marine environment.
Owners are responsible for the costs of addressing their problem vessel. This includes cleanup or repairs, and any remediation action taken by the Canadian Coast Guard. The Canadian Coast Guard works with vessel owners to address their problem vessels. The issuance of a penalty is a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted. The owner was required to pay within 30 days or to apply for a review hearing with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, the Canadian Coast Guard is required to publicly report the penalties issued to vessel owners on its website.
The Canadian Coast Guard asks for the public's assistance in reporting wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels.
Quick Facts
- This is the fourth time that a fine has been issued to a hazardous vessel owner in British Columbia and the fifth fine to be issued in Canada.
- Vessel owners are responsible for maintaining and keeping their vessels in good working order, and properly disposing of the vessel when it reaches the end of its life.
- The Canadian Coast Guard maintains a publicly available national inventory of problem vessels across Canada to better track these vessels and help prioritize which ones should be dealt with first. To date, over 2,000 wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous vessels have been reported.
- Since 2016, under the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada has funded over 580 projects to remove and dispose of wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous vessels across Canada and has made it illegal to abandon a vessel in Canadian waters.
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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region
Contacts: Michelle Imbeau, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Western Region, 604-219-5730, [email protected]
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