From Transport Canada
The Interim Protocol for the Use of Southern B.C. Anchorages came into effect on February 8, 2018.
This report is for July 1 to July 30, 2018.
Highlights for July
- Transport Canada’s National Aerial Surveillance Program:
- completed 13 coastal flights, and 8 in the Canadian North
- inspected 792 ships by air this month
- observed no pollution from commercial ships anchored along the south coast
- Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) continued to follow up through ships’ agents with vessels that did not reduce their noise and light per the voluntary guidelines
- Most ships that anchor regularly in south coast waters are aware of the protocol near residential areas
- But many complaints still came in, usually about ships that are “first-timers” in our waters
- Our Vancouver Oceans Protection Plan anchorage desk spoke with several community representatives who asked for a detailed explanation of the system VFPA uses to assign vessels to anchorages
- We will work with the VFPA to draft a short summary of the specific factors VFPA uses to make an assignment, and will post it to our website
- Two communities wrote to us in July, asking that anchorages in their near-shore waters either be relocated or removed
- We noted these requests and shared them with the national Anchorages Initiative team
- Any permanent changes, if necessary, will be made in 2019
- Update on a complaint about noise and light and pollution reported in early August from the vessel STAR GRAN anchored in Ladysmith D:
- Transport Canada inspectors, the Port of Nanaimo, BC Chamber of Shipping and the Canadian Coast Guard followed up on citizen complaints
- We found that the vessel had reduced its noise and light per the protocol
- We also found that the ship had not discharged sewage, ballast water or other pollutants
Data review
- The July summaries show:
- activity for the month
- total anchoring days by site from February to July
- New this month is a summary graph showing total anchor-days at each south coast location for the 6-month period, by size of anchorage
- Use at larger-sized anchorages is still much higher than at smaller sites
- This is in part because shorter vessels are sometimes assigned to larger locations when other sites are not available
- To receive the summary data for south coast anchorages for February to July 2018, please email: TC.PacificAnchorages-Ancragesdupacifique.TC@tc.gc.ca
Next steps
- Over the next several weeks, we will use traffic and length of stay data from the first 6 months of the protocol to look at how changing its guidelines might impact anchoring
- For example, we’ll consider whether changing the length of stay at a Port or along the south coast will increase or decrease the overall congestion, or if a small change to the protocol could reduce transits
- The national Anchorages Initiative team:
- has received feedback from the first 6 months of operational experience with the Interim Protocol
- has also received many comments and suggestions from coastal communities
- will suggest studies we need to do before we finalize a new national anchorages framework and make long-term decisions that impact British Columbians (e.g., to determine the relationship between export growth and anchorages demand)
- For more updates, read the August 2018 monthly report
Background information
- Understanding anchorages in Canada
- Discharge, noise, light and concerns for marine life from anchored vessels
- Ports, harbours and anchorages
Contact
Please send your anchorage inquiries to TC.PacificAnchorages-Ancragesdupacifique.TC@tc.gc.ca.
If you have comments or suggestions about anchorages, you may also join the conversation at Let’s Talk – Oceans Protection Plan.