By Patricia Brandlmayr
Environment Officer
for Burnaby Squadron & Pacific Mainland
District
Your summer boating is about to begin
(we hope). There are several
Environmental issues and regulations of
which you should be aware as you begin
maintenance of your boat and travel on
the Straits of Georgia and environs.
1) NEW: Mobile pump-out service in
the southern Gulf Islands
Mayne, Saturna, Samuel Islands Mobile
Service has a Pumpty Dumpty 11 service.
Free with Donations accepted. It is
offered by Mayne Island Conservancy
Society and the Association of Mayne
Island Boaters and is docked at Horton
Bay, Mayne Island.
Contact
www.mayneboaters.com ,
channel 16, July through September 1.
2) Please make yourself aware that
the Fisheries Act regarding Best
Practices for Marinas is now
in force by Environment Canada. In part
it reads,
"…no person shall deposit or permit
the deposit of a deleterious substance
of any type in water frequented by fish
or in any place under any conditions
where the deleterious substance may
enter any such water." Best Practices by
Marinas and Boatyards include:
Keep the boatyard clean so
that no wastes enter the aquatic
environment.
Use shrouding, tarps and drop
cloths to capture paint
scrapings and residues
Contain and treat runoff from
pressure washing
Do not perform hull
maintenance on tidal grids or at
any facilities without
containment. In-water hull
washing must not release
antifouling paint. Discolored
water is an indication that you
may be harming the environment
Reference:
www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/boatyards
3) The proposed Sewage Regulations
has now come into law and comes under
the Canada Shipping Act. Reference
Pacific Yachting May 2007 and Transport
Canada
www.tc.gc.ca. In part it reads:-
"All vessels with heads shall be
fitted with a marine sanitation device
(MSD), to treat sewage, or a holding
tank."
However, a vessel may be fitted
with facilities for the temporary
storage of sewage (i.e. a porta-potty)
Briefly, the discharge of sewage is
authorized:
If not in inland Waters or Designated
Sewage Areas and
If the sewage is comminuted
and disinfected using a MSD and
the discharge is made at least a
nautical mile from shore,
If not using a MSD and if the
discharge is made at a distance
of at least three nautical miles
from shore at the vessel’s
fastest practicable speed, or
If not possible to comply as
above, because the vessel is in
waters that are less than six
miles from shore to shore,
discharge can be made while the
ship is enroute at a speed of at
least four knots or, if not
practicable at that speed, the
fastest practicable speed into
the deepest water located the
farthest from shore during an
ebb tide, or into the deepest
and fastest moving waters
located the farthest from
shore."
4) Carry a copy of the "Guide to
Greenboating" aboard your vessel and
check on the website of the Georgia
Strait Alliance (www.georgiastrait.org)
for up-to-date information on pump-out
sites, references for environmental
maintenance of your vessel, whale,
animal, bird watching guides, and "Who
To Call" for environmental boating
information or to report an incident.
