Vessels contribute only a small part of the pollutions affecting our waterways, however vessels frequent enclosed bays and other sensitive habitats making their impact significant.

For instance approximately 82 million litres of sewage are released into the Georgia Basin by small vessels each year, untreated sewage that is far more toxic than municipal sewage – the sewage from one boat over a weekend has a fecal coliform count equivalent to the treated sewage from 10,000 people over the same period.

In May 2007 the Canadian government gazetted new regulations restricting vessel pollutions, bring Canada into line with international maritime regulations. These new regulations will come have a 5 year phase in period but most recreational and commercial boaters will find it challenging to comply with the full intent of the new regulations because of the absence of easily accessible and useable marine waste disposal facilities.

We are promoting the creation of a comprehensive boat waste disposal plan and are working with Georgia Strait Alliance on providing some solutions.