The shorelines surrounding Oak Bay-Gordon Head are beautiful, though not always pristine.
Derelict vessels wash up in and around the shoreline from time to time. They can be eyesores and pose environmental risks, but they serve another purpose B次元官网网址� highlighting the difficulty of getting three levels of government to split a tab, says one local MLA.
READ MORE:
B次元官网网址淒erelict vessels, to give you some context, itB次元官网网址檚 a very complex file because these boats on the water are jurisdiction of DFO, these boats when they come into tidal zones become provincial jurisdiction, and when theyB次元官网网址檙e on the land theyB次元官网网址檙e municipal jurisdiction,B次元官网网址� said Weaver. B次元官网网址淪o everybody points finger at everyone else in terms of trying to stay who responsible.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think that what were doing here is one-offs to deal with big problems, but that actually isnB次元官网网址檛 addressing the fundamental issues. The fundamental issue is we need to have on an ongoing basis the removal of derelict vessels on our coastline, and its a federal responsibility by in-large. There are examples when the coast guard will find a vessel thatB次元官网网址檚 lost floating, maybe nobody even owning it, and it gets tied tied on to a buoy in Cadboro bay beach.B次元官网网址�
READ MORE:
The federal government recently announced an additional $6.85 million to its abandoned boat program, although just a little over $410,000 is designated in B.C, and none directed to Oak Bay or Saanich.
Weaver said billing boat owners themselves before their boats end up derelict might be the answer to keeping funds at hand for prompt removals.
B次元官网网址淚n Washington State they have a licensing fee. When you get a boat, part of your fee goes towards an organization thatB次元官网网址檚 responsible to clean these things up off the coast line if they wash ashore,B次元官网网址� Weaver said. B次元官网网址淲ere not talking billions but thereB次元官网网址檚 clearly need for millions of dollars accessible somehow.B次元官网网址�
Weaver said he was pleased with how all three levels of government were able to come together in 2017 to clean up the shorelines. He also cites it as an example of listening to constituent issuesB次元官网网址攏otably concerns brought up by the Cadboro Bay ResidentsB次元官网网址� AssociationB次元官网网址攁nd seeing the issue to itsB次元官网网址� end.
RELATED:
B次元官网网址淲e shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be putting up derelict boots and tying them up to public buys and waiting for them to wash on,B次元官网网址� Weaver said. B次元官网网址淕iven that their on, there has to be a processB次元官网网址攖here is a process, you can go through Receiver of Wrecks, etc. But it takes forever.B次元官网网址�
jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
