This is a cautionary tale about the danger of half measures. In 2012 the federal Ministry of Transport tried to clamp down on indiscriminate dumping of sewage at sea.
According to the new rules, no ship may unload raw sewage within five kilometres of shore or within designated areas such as Montague Harbour on Galiano Island. “Ship” in this case means everything from the largest merchant vessel to the smallest pleasure craft.
Around most of Canada’s coastline, the regulations made sense. The new regime brought us into compliance with international standards.
But in waterways with limited width, such as those between the Gulf Islands, the scheme fell apart. Stretches of Saanich Inlet or Cowichan Bay are also too narrow for the five-kilometre rule to apply.
The regulations now say that in constricted waters, where shore-based disposal isn’t an option, boaters are required to find the deepest water that is farthest from shore. That might have been a well-intentioned solution, but the practical result is devastating. It is now legal to dump sewage in close proximity to beaches, swimming holes and shellfish beds throughout the Gulf Islands.
What began as a pollution-control exercise has ended with some of our country’s most crowded waterways open to abuse.
The consequences are particularly dire for Saanich Inlet. Lack of tidal cleansing means pollutants accumulate over time. In the last 20 years, numerous studies have shown high levels of contamination. That has led to longstanding shellfish fisheries being closed.
But now, with dumping a reality, marine ecologists see a crisis emerging. The Cowichan Valley Regional District wants Ottawa to impose a complete ban on the disposal of sewage throughout Saanich Inlet.
A petition is being organized and politicians from other districts are climbing on board. This could well grow into a larger movement, encompassing the entire Strait of Georgia region.
But while federal officials might be sympathetic, they will point to an indisputable fact. Small pleasure craft often lack tanks for storing their waste. If there is no land-based facility available, what can they do?
And unfortunately, onshore pumping stations for those with tanks are few and far between. There are only 14 between Brentwood Bay and Campbell River — a distance of almost 300 kilometres. That’s inadequate.
Moreover, most are located on the shores of Vancouver Island; there are only two on the outer Gulf Islands.
Before pushing the federal government to adopt an all-out ban, steps must first be taken to increase shore-based disposal sites. Some progress can be made by encouraging private marinas to do more.
But if we’re serious about this, local authorities will also have to play a role. The price tag for a land-based station attached to local sewers is about $50,000. That’s well within the reach of most municipalities, and a drop in the ocean for the provincial government. It should be possible to double the capacity along our inner coastline without blowing up anyone’s budget.
What do we get in return? Three things.
First, it would become safe to swim at almost any beach in the region.
Second, many of the shellfish fisheries closed by pollution could be reopened. Perhaps the most attractive opportunity lies in Saanichton Bay, which faces James Island across Cordova Channel. The bay was a traditional source of clams for the Tsawout First Nation, before pollution closed it. Reopening the fishery would make an emotional statement, for the Tsawout and for all islanders.
Third, we would be preserving the purity and integrity of one of the most beautiful archipelagos on our planet.
A total ban on waste-dumping along our shores will be challenging. But now is the time to do it.
