Feds issue just 2 fines in 4 years for abandoned boats. Critics say it’s not enough

The federal government is taking heat over the effectiveness of laws meant to target abandoned and derelict vessels on B.C.’s shores.

Canada enacted the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act in 2019.

But in the four years it has been in place, just two people have been fined under the legislation, including the owner of the 27-foot cabin cruiser Akoo, abandoned at Cadaboro Bay, who was hit with a $15,000 penalty.

2:17 VPD cracks down on derelict and abandoned boats in False Creek

There are an estimated 1,700 boats listed on a national register of abandoned vessels, 1,200 of them in British Columbia.

“We’re seeing an ever increasing amount of derelict and abandoned vessels lining our coast,” said Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP MP Lisa Barron.

Barron has proposed a private members bill aimed at amending the federal legislation that calls for measures to identify owners and create a reclamation program to help owners do the right thing.

Barron said when left to sink, abandoned vessels pollute marine ecosystems affecting food security and coastal communities in a multitude of ways.

“The costs are much lower when we address the issue from the onset, rather than waiting for it to sink,” she said.

“So ultimately what my bill is asking for is calling on the Liberal government to implement a strategy to prevent these vessels from sinking in the first place and to clean up these vessels, because at the rate we are going right now we are not going to see these vessels being cleaned up … at the rate we need it to.”

2:08 Transport Canada to remove several derelict boats from False Creek

John Roe, director of the Dead Boat Disposal Society, said despite the lack of fines the federal legislation is already having an effect, with boat owners openly talking about the potential repercussions of improperly disposing their property.

But he said much more action is needed, including a coordinated campaign to clean up marine environments littered with abandoned vessels, trash and debris.

“Do the proper surveys, take out the tires, the batteries, the ghost nets, the garbage, the boats — it’s all there and it just needs a plan in place to get rid of it, economically,” he said. “We know where a lot of them are. We know where we can look for more. Every time somebody sends me out to look for a boat I always find four or five more…

“You look at what they’re spending on the pipeline, $33 billion, imagine if we put that into the oceans. The recovery we’d have in our shellfish and our fin fish? It would be staggering.”

1:48 Federal government unveils new laws governing abandoning and derelict boats

In a statement, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said the federal government has removed 556 abandoned boats nationally since 2016 under the Oceans Protection Plan.

It added that the Canadian Coast Guard announced the launch of its compliance and enforcement program on July 6, which will include the issuance of fines and penalties.

Transport Canada is responsible for working with vessel owners to address “irresponsible vessel management,” the statement continued, adding that when owners can’t be identified or if the vessel is considered a serious hazard, the Coast Guard will take action.

“The Canadian Coast Guard is focusing on assessing the risks associated with each of the reported vessels to prioritize actions to remediate high risk vessels,” the department said.

“The focus is on mitigating the risk posed by each vessel. If a vessel is an immediate risk to pollute, the Canadian Coast Guard acts quickly to respond and protect the environment. Further steps to address vessels are then taken in order of priority, based on their level of risk.”

2:03 Dozens of derelict boats in False Creek

Barron said the current legislation is a good start to addressing the problem.

But she said action has been too slow, and there are regulatory gaps that need to be filled, including government support for a recycling program that will motivate owners to deal with their vessels properly.

“This is clearly not enough, and what I’m hearing from people is we need to have the resources in place because we can’t possibly hold vessel owners to account when there’s a long delay process in identifying who the vessel owner is, when there are delays in being able to follow through,” she said.

Roe, who helped lead a cleanup of Victoria’s Gorge and Harbour decades ago, said his experience shows what’s possible.

“It can be done, we did it,” he said. “And we can do it in the whole province.”