Coast Guard fines B.C. owner $13,500 after failure to remove 'hazardous' vessel

An aerial view of Gold River, B.C. (Village of Gold River/Facebook)

A British Columbia boat owner has been fined $13,500 after failing to remove the partially sunken vessel from a bay along the coast of Vancouver Island.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the owner was given a deadline last March to remove the 12-metre fishing vessel from the waters near Gold River on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The department says the vessel was moored to a government salmon enhancement pen, which was not designed to hold such weight.

It says there was also a risk the boat could fully sink and pollute a nearby estuary.

The Coast Guard has since removed the vessel and issued the fine in June.

The statement from Fisheries and Oceans says fines are issued as a "last resort," after all other avenues to address a problem vessel have been exhausted.

The department says owners are responsible for costs of addressing their vessels, including repairs, cleanup and remediation actions by the Coast Guard.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.