The federal government estimates there are more than 600 abandoned vessels, ranging from commercial ships to recreational boats, littering Canada’s waterways and harbours.
Each of them can pose a safety risk to recreational boating and commercial vessel operators, become navigational hazards, pollute marine environments or cause significant removal costs and clean up.
The Marine Institute is working with Transport Canada, as part of its $1.3-million commitment to remove abandoned boats, to create an awareness and education program aimed at preventing boat abandonment and reducing their harmful effects.
Fabian Lambert, acting head of the Institute’s School of Marine Studies, is leading the development and delivery of the Abandon Boat awareness campaign.
“Over the next three years, we are reaching out to a number of groups across Canada to talk about what actions responsible boat owners, coastal communities, and harbour authorities can take to limit abandoned and wrecked vessels that we often see on our coasts,” says Lambert.
“This includes working closely with our industry partners in the fish harvesting and marine transportation sectors and indigenous groups throughout Atlantic Canada and the North to address this issue.”
The institute’s program will first focus on creating awareness of new regulations and fines for boat owners about abandoned vessels. The federal government expects to introduce these regulations later this spring. It will also provide resources for boat owners on how to maintain, operate and, most importantly, safely dispose of their vessels at the end of its useful life.
The main elements of the program will concentrate on educating the public on what steps to take if they find a derelict or abandoned vessel and what authorities to contact to make a report. Determining whether to call Transport Canada or the Canadian Coast Guard often depends on if the vessel poses an environmental threat or navigational hazard.
As part of its awareness program, the institute will also provide information on how to avail of federal funding to remove and dispose of a vessel, as well as a step-by-step procedure to document and plan a vessel clean-up.
“One of the important elements in our approach is to reach out to communities and youth,” says Lambert. “We want to be proactive and provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the safety of navigational hazards posed by abandoned boats as well as information on their environmental impacts.”
The institute will integrate information on responsible boat ownership, recycling and disposal of vessels into diploma and degree programs delivered by the School of Maritime Studies. The curriculum will be delivered in the classroom for students and accessible online for Marine Institute alumni.
The institute will also use public engagement and student recruitment events within communities and high schools to raise awareness of the growing issue of abandoned vessels and how to prevent it.
“We want to make a lasting impact with our community, educational and industrial partners by helping to clean up our coasts and waterways and reinforcing responsible vessel ownership for years to come,” Lambert explained.
The Marine Institute’s Abandoned Boats education program will launch later this spring with details to be announced on its website www.mi.mun.ca
By Kim Thornhill
Manager of Marketing and Communications – Marine Institute
