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Michelle Young
Clean Marine BC spill response training at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf in Vancouver, B.C.
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Michelle Young
Purple Martin Nesting Boxes at Ladysmith Maritime Society Community Marina in Ladysmith, B.C.
Words by Michelle Young
What does it mean when yacht clubs, marinas, harbour authorities, and boatyards adhere to the environmental best practices of Georgia Strait Alliance’s Clean Marine BC program?
“Environmental stewardship is a way boating facilities can commit to reducing contaminants from entering our waters,” says Christianne Wilhelmson, Executive Director of Georgia Strait Alliance. “They can minimize environmental impacts from all aspects of their marina or boating facility operations.”
Now in its 10th year, Clean Marine BC has 23 certified marinas, yacht clubs, wharves and boatyards, with another 26 facilities currently working towards certification. For a facility to become certified, the program examines six key areas, ranging from habitat preservation to waste reduction and water conservation. To accomplish this, the anchor-rating audit evaluation considers everything from dock and yard management to parking lots and visitor facilities, including restaurants and washrooms.
Specifically, the program considers elements such as the construction, operation and maintenance of a facility’s slips, pumpouts, and fuel docks. It even examines how boats are lifted, launched, cleaned, and stored.
Clean Marine BC also measures the usage of chemicals, energy and water, in addition to the waste that is produced — from leftover paint and oil to pet waste. It then outlines achievable goals, which allow marinas to reduce their usage, appropriately dispose of various waste streams, and cut their utility bills.
Recently, the program has expanded to provide training for emergency preparedness and response measures when faced with the possibility of small-scale marine oil spills at their docks.
Beyond the Docks
What’s more, Clean Marine BC-certified marinas often extend their conservation efforts to habitat protection initiatives that support the healthy growth of wildlife species. Some even play significant roles in supporting the recovery of threatened species, such as Purple Martin swallows or Garry Oak trees.
Several Clean Marine BC facilities partner with the BC Western Purple Martin Recovery Program by attaching nesting boxes to dock pilings. The boxes allow these birds to feed their young in safety and security. Purple Martins, which migrate all the way to South America every year, have increased their population from five breeding pairs in BC to more than 1,200 since the mid-1980s. Squamish Streamkeepers is another organization that collaborates with Clean Marine BC marinas to wrap creosote pilings and hang nets off docks to increase safe spawning habitat for herring. There is even a certified marina on Vancouver Island that participates in eel grass recovery.
Derelict and abandoned vessels litter our coastlines, and members of Clean Marine BC are also involved in advocating for solutions, as well as the removal of derelicts and recycling of boats.
The conservation and expansion of rare meadows of Garry Oak—the only native oak species in Western Canada—is another Clean Marine BC member initiative as there are several at-risk species within Garry Oak ecosystems on British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. So, attention to the Garry Oak equates to a much larger and more impactful species recovery.
Georgia Strait Alliance’s Clean Marine BC Program Coordinator Michelle Young would be happy to speak with your marina, yacht club, boat yard or harbour authority about joining Clean Marine BC, a voluntary boating facility eco-certification program. cmbc@georgiastrait.org 250-753-3459.
Clean Marine BC Examines Six Key Areas:
- Environmental Policy and Management
- Water Quality and Habitat Preservation
- Hazardous-Substance Handling & Reduction
- Water Conservation
- Energy Efficiency
- Waste Reduction
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