A push for legislation to combat abandoned boats in Canada is now resulting in more enforcement and fines being issued.
One of the first major fines to be issued for a derelict boat has been levied in British Columbia.
According to the Vancouver Sun, the owner of a derelict boat docked at Jericho Beach in Vancouver has been issued a $15,000 fine by the Canadian Coast Guard. The fine lists concerns over safety, damage to nearby property, and the potential for hazardous debris from the vessel leaking into the waterway.
The penalty was issued last month to an unnamed vessel owner who had 30 days pay the fine or apply for a hearing with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. According to various sources, the vessel broke loose from its anchorage around January 11th and the vessel’s owner was first contacted by authorities on January 24th. By April 3rd, the owner still had not taken action and the vessel was therefore declared hazardous. The case was never assigned to the hearing schedule of the TATC.
The issue of abandoned boats, especially in British Columbia, has become a inescapable nuisance. It’s even become a global story, as phenomenon like the abandoned boats of Venice become an eyesore in otherwise coveted boating locations.
In B.C., the growing concern raised by local governments and communities is mounting. The recreational boating industry has been advocating for action for years, and Transport Canada responded by establishing the national Abandoned Boats Program (ABP) in 2017.
One of the first major initiatives of the program was new legislation. The passage of Bill-64 the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessel Act now makes it illegal to abandon a boat in Canada. Bill-64 assigns responsibility as the “owner of a vessel (who) is, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, presumed to have abandoned it if they leave the vessel unattended for a period of two years.”
The 30-foot (9 m) fibreglass sailboat at the Jericho breakwater was “found to pose a hazard to the marine environment and public safety.”
“Owners are responsible for the costs of addressing their problem vessel…The issuance of a penalty is a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted,” said the Coast Guard in a statement.
“The vessel was partially sunk and had caused structural damage to the main support beams of the dock and administrative building of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club,” the statement added.
“Due to the accessible location and damaged state of the vessel, the sailing vessel was deemed to present a hazard to members of the public who may try to enter the vessel. The vessel would also continue to produce marine pollution through broken parts drifting away as the vessel deteriorated.”
Announcing the fine on its website is also a requirement under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.
The fine marks the third time a boat owner in B.C. has been issued a fine for a hazardous vessel. One of the first was the Akoo, also in Vancouver, in July 2023. In that instance, the owner of the Akoo failed to establish a salvage plan after being warned by authorities and was also fined $15,000.
In Canada, both Boating BC Association and Boating Ontario offer resources for those looking to properly dispose of an abandoned or derelict vessel. In the U.S., companies like Goodwill accept boat donations to raise funds for their programs.
The Coast Guard keeps a countrywide inventory of more than 2,000 reports of problem vessels and prioritizes enforcement based on urgency and the likelihood of hazards. Since 2016, the federal government has paid for more than 580 projects to remove and dispose of derelict vessels.