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The owner of a derelict boat docked at Jericho Beach in Vancouver has been fined $15,000 by the Canadian Coast Guard over safety issues, damage to property and the potential for hazardous debris to break off into coastal waters.
The coast guard issued the administrative penalty early last month to an unnamed vessel owner in B.C., who was required to pay within 30 days or apply for a hearing with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada.
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The fine for wrecked, abandoned or hazardous boats is part of the federal government’s oceans protection plan, which aims to minimize environmental threats and to hold owners of derelict vessels accountable.
The nine-metre sailboat at the Jericho breakwater was “found to pose a hazard to the marine environment and public safety” for three reasons:
• The boat was docked where it is accessible to the public and, due to its instability and damage, could have caused injury to anyone boarding it.
• The boat caused “structural damage to the administrative building of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and the main support beams for the dock beside the building.”
• Deterioration of the fibreglass hull “would produce pollution to the marine environment through broken parts drifting away.”
The owner had failed to remove the boat after being asked to do so by the Canadian Coast Guard in January.
“Owners are responsible for the costs of addressing their problem vessel,” said the coast guard in a statement Tuesday, including cleanup or repairs and any remediation work required by the federal marine agency.
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