Eleven BC Marinas Prepare for Marine Oil Spill
Dec 6, 2016
Eleven marinas—all members of Georgia Strait Alliance’s Clean Marine BC program—participated in a theoretical and practical marine oil spill response training session at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf in Vancouver. Participating marinas refreshed their knowledge and honed their planning and preparation skills to be able to effectively deal with and respond to a small-scale marine oil spill, which involved a mock spill at a moored vessel.
“This is the first spill training session that we’ve ever organized for marinas as part of our Clean Marine BC program.” says Christianne Wilhelmson, Executive Director of Georgia Strait Alliance. “Now these eleven facilities are better equipped to execute coordinated, effective, and quick responses if a spill happens at their dock or boatyard which is so important because a competent marine spill response can mitigate the harm caused by oil and fuel entering our water.”
“We’re a busy commercial fishing harbour, and spills can happen,” says Mike Loy, Harbour Manager of False Creek Harbour Authority. “It’s our job to be ready to react. For me, the practical element in the training was extremely valuable; we’ll be taking some new knowledge and skills back to our harbour.”
Personnel from the following Clean Marine BC-certified or enrolled marinas, yacht clubs and boatyards participated in the full-day spill training session:
Canoe Cove Marina & Boatyard
False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf
False Creek Fuels
Granville Island Maritime Market & Marina
Ladysmith Maritime Society Marina
Royal Vancouver Yacht Club – Jericho and Coal Harbour
Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Stones Boatyard
Vancouver Marina
West Vancouver Yacht Club
The roles the 20 participants play at their own facilities range from general, wharfage and marina managers to dock hands, foreshore leads, wharfingers, and dock maintenance technicians. The session was facilitated by Global Stratagem Consulting and hosted by False Creek Harbour Authority, with the support of Georgia Strait Alliance.
