C-344 – An Act to amend the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (national strategy respecting abandoned vessels) – would establish a national strategy to deal with abandoned vessels.
National Strategy Respecting Abandoned Vessels
C-344 has the Minister of Transport put together a national strategy for dealing with abandoned vessels. This strategy will need to include measures to:
- Quickly identify the owners of vessels
- Determine if the fees for abandoning a vessel effectively covers the cost of getting rid of it
- Develop a turn-in program that includes designated places to dispose of vessels
- Develop recycling initiatives for wrecked vessels along with enforceable standards to reduce social and environmental impacts
- Develop a mooring plan for vessels
- Provide support to local businesses that offer disposal services
- Improve the process for disposing of wrecked and abandoned vessels
The strategy will also need to assess how adequate the resources available, including those of the Coast Guard, are for preventing and responding to abandoned vehicles.
The Minister will have one year to create this strategy, and it will be reviewed annually.
Progress
C-344 is currently waiting to get on the Order of Precedence.