Owner of Cape Breton vessel penalized by Canadian Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Kopit Hopson 1752 docked at Sydney harbour in June. The owner of an unnamed vessel in Port Hawkesbury has been penalized by the Canadian Coast Guard. CAPE BRETON POST FILE Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle contentThe owner of an unnamed vessel in Port Hawkesbury has been penalized by the Canadian Coast Guard.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentThe coast guard issued the penalty under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act. They say the owner of the vessel “failed to comply with a direction issued under the Act following the determination that the vessel poses a hazard to the marine environment and public safety.”Article contentArticle contentThe Canadian Coast Guard says wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous vessels can pose threats to the environment, local communities, and economies.Article contentThey say the direction instructed the owner to relocate and stabilize the vessel to conduct remediation, removal, or repair to an appropriate level, to ensure that any physical, environmental, or other hazards are eliminated, remedied, or otherwise properly addressed.Article contentThe vessel owner was issued a penalty of $12,000 and was required to pay within 30 days or to apply for a review hearing with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, the Canadian Coast Guard is required to publicly report the fines issued to vessel owners on its website.Article contentAccording to the coast guard, vessel owners are responsible for maintaining and keeping their boats in good working order and properly disposing of the vessel when it reaches the end of its life.Article contentThe Canadian Coast Guard maintains a publicly available national inventory of reported wrecked and abandoned boats across Canada to better track these boats and help prioritize which ones should be dealt with first. To date, over 2,000 wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous boats have been reported.Article contentSince 2016, the federal government has funded almost 500 projects to remove and dispose of wrecked, abandoned, or hazardous boats across Canada and has made it illegal to abandon a boat in Canada’s waters.Article content