Canadian Coast Guard issues fine for a hazardous vessel
This is the second time that a fine has been issued to a hazardous vessel owner in British Columbia
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, the Canadian Coast Guard said.
Recently, the Canadian Coast Guard exercised its authority under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to issue a fine, in the form of an administrative monetary penalty, to a vessel owner in British Columbia.
On January 23, 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard issued a fine to the owner of the vessel MV Dorothy Gale, a 25 foot fiberglass pleasure craft, located in Masset on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. The vessel was determined to pose a hazard to the marine environment and public safety, as the vessel caused structural damage to a public dock in Masset Harbour, which prevents the safe use of the dock. The owner of the Dorothy Gale has been issued an administrative monetary penalty for $12,000 and was required to pay within 30 days or to apply for a review hearing with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. The issuance of this fine comes after the vessel owner failed to comply with the Canadian Coast Guard’s directions to remove the vessel from the marine environment by January 15, 2024.
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. 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.
This is the second time that a fine has been issued to a hazardous vessel owner in British Columbia.
Vessels owners are responsible for maintaining and keeping their boats 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 boats across Canada to better track these boats and help prioritize which ones should be dealt with first. To date, over 2,000 wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous boats 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 boats across Canada and has made it illegal to abandon a boat in Canada’s waters.
