More than a dozen boats will be removed from Victoria waters after the federal government announced new funding for the Salish Sea Industrial Services through its Ocean Protection Plan.
Terry Beech, parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport, announced the most recent applicants to receive funding under Transport Canada’s Abandoned Boats Program. A total of $1,273,045 will be provided to four organizations in B.C. to assist with the removal of 34 boats.
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A total of $364,150 has been allotted to the Victoria-based organization to remove 16 boats. The rest of the money was divided up between organizations in Burnaby, Mission and Maderia Park to remove another 16 boats from the Fraser River and two boats in Gerrans Bay.
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In addition, Beech noted the Boating B.C. Association’s public awareness campaign to reduce the harmful dumping of abandoned boats in the province, which is funded under the Abandoned Boat Program.
The announcement came just before the Wreck, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act comes into effect on July 30, which will make it illegal to abandoned boats and increase vessel owner liability, in addition to strengthening the government’s response in cases where owners don’t behave responsibly in disposing of their vessels at the end of their life.
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