The impacts of climate change are becoming more prevalent and, as boaters, we need to be prepared for the consequences out on the water. As extreme weather events increase, boaters are more frequently encountering and having to navigate drought-depleted waterways, fires, changing weather patterns, severe wind storms, atmospheric rivers, and floods. We need to expect … Continue reading
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Spills Aren’t Slick: no matter how small
Clean Marine BC helps boaters and marinas prevent and clean up spills For more than 20 years, GSA has run the Clean Marine BC program which works with boating facilities to reduce the impact of recreational boating on the Salish Sea and beyond through the implementation of improved environmental measures, including waste reduction, water and … Continue reading
Read more »Getting boaters safely to shore
Those anecdotal accounts about a spike in boat purchases over the past two years, coinciding with the onset of the continuing pandemic, are true! According to C-Tow Marine Assistance, which provides on-call help to boaters on the water, there are a lot of new – and also inexperienced – recreational boaters who have taken to … Continue reading
Read more »Addressing Problem Vessels
Abandoned, derelict and wrecked vessels (ADVs) are an ongoing problem globally, and one that boaters in B.C. are all too familiar with. ADVs in the Salish Sea pose environmental contamination and safety risks. They are also visual eyesores. Untended vessels end up adrift, washed ashore, sunk, or broken apart, releasing fuel and other toxins into … Continue reading
Read more »Clean Marine BC raises the bar
Not only has participation in Clean Marine BC, our voluntary eco-certification program, been growing in leaps and bounds – our marinas and yacht clubs have been raising the bar on environmental best practices! The top five-anchor CMBC rating was an elusive achievement for almost seven years until it was awarded for the first time to False … Continue reading
Read more »Green boating in the southern Salish Sea
We recently had a chance to speak with Adria Lau, Program Manager of Washington’s Clean Boating Foundation, which has many similarities to our Clean Marine BC green boating and marina eco-certification program. Here is what she had to say about their organization, and ways we can work together to minimize the impacts from recreational boating in … Continue reading
Read more »Fish farm diesel spill a sucker-punch to the gut
To know me is to know my passion for the environment, and especially the ocean. In my personal life, and through my work with Georgia Strait Alliance, I have dedicated myself primarily to two environmental issues closest to my heart: removing harmful open net-cage salmon farms from wild salmon migration routes, and protecting the ocean from … Continue reading
Read more »First marine spill training for Clean Marine BC
Twenty representatives from eleven Clean Marine BC facilities came together in our first ever marine spill training session. False Creek Harbour Authority hosted us at Fishermen’s Wharf, and mother nature provided the sunshine! Instructor Craig Dougans from Global Strategem Consulting led us through a full day of classroom and practical training covering planning, preparedness, spill … Continue reading
Read more »Avoiding pollution while doing topside work on boats
Maintaining our boats can be a messy business, and we need to take care to contain any pollutants that can escape into the air, ground and water. Ideally we would carry out all maintenance in a boatyard with responsible practices such as using waste containment systems, drop sheets and shrouds. If dockside work cannot be … Continue reading
Read more »Ladysmith rallies on derelict vessels
When you visit Ladysmith Harbour, you’ll see a place of great beauty and activity – but you will also find a number of problem boats in various stages of decline. In one short stretch of beach there are four derelict vessels grounded and decaying, plus several more floating and at risk of becoming derelict. The … Continue reading
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