BoatingCanadians regularly enjoy recreational boating, and many use motorboats during the summer and fishing seasons. However, like many other activities boating can have negative environmental impacts, particularly in the marine environment through diesel leaks, engine emissions and sewage (yachts and houseboats) and their effects are far reaching.

How Does Boating Affect Water Quality?

Boating activity can contribute to water pollution in a number of ways, including:

• Oil, gas or paint spills from boat maintenance;
• Discharge of sewage directly into the water from boats, which can cause E. coli contamination and encourage the growth of toxic algae;
• Disposal of trash into the water from boats;
• Storm water runoff from marina parking lots;
• Introduction of invasive species by, transporting species, which attach themselves to the underside of the boat, between different lakes;
• Physical alteration of wetlands and aquatic habitats during the construction and operation of marinas; and
• Contamination from boating cleaners, anti-fouling agents and petrochemical products.

While boats and marinas may individually release only small amounts of pollutants into waterways, multiplying these amounts by thousands of boaters and marinas that use them can cause significant water quality problems in lakes, rivers and coastal waters.

In addition, boats with two-stroke motors release more pollutants to air and water that those with four stroke motors. According to the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association, approximately one-quarter of the mixed oil and fuel fed to a two-stroke motor is released unburned through the exhaust system. The engine emissions contain approximately 100 pollutants, some of which are released into the air and some into the water.

Regulations Protecting Recreational Water Quality

In Canada, there are many government agencies responsible for aquatic ecosystems. Through regulations and a web of interconnecting programs provided by many levels of government, as well as a number of non-governmental groups, these agencies work in cooperation to protect aquatic ecosystems and in doing so protect recreational water.

Federal Regulations And Responsibilities

Canadian Environmental Protection ActTubing

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA, 1999) is for the protection of the environment and human health from the risks of toxic substances. The Act authorises the federal government to make environmental agreement, issue guidelines and pollution regulations.

The Act allows for the regulation of the release of toxic substances. It states that the Canadian government is required to “protect the environment, including its biological diversity, and human health, from the risk of any adverse effects of the use and release of toxic substances, pollutants and wastes”. This includes recreational waters.

A number of National Effluent Regulations have been developed under the Act for various industry sectors.

Fisheries Act

The Fisheries Act, administered by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, is the most important Federal legislation for the protection of Canadian waters. The Act is relevant to recreational waters and boating activities as it contains sections which provide for fish habitat protection and pollution prevention.

Sections 35 and 36 of the Fisheries Act, in particular, are very important as they forbid the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, and the depositing of a deleterious substance into waters which are frequented by fish, or into where the substance could eventually reach water frequented by fish.

Defined by the Act as: any substance that, if added to water , would degrade or alter the quality of the water so that it is rendered harmful to fish; and water that contains a substance in which quantity or concentration would, if added to water, degrade the quality of the water and, therefore, cause harm to the fish.

Therefore, under the Fisheries Act it is illegal to add any substance which can harm fish to water. This includes dumping garbage or discharging pollutants from boats into Canadian waters.

Link to Canadian Fisheries Act

Canadian Shipping Act

Transport Canada is responsible for commercial navigation, harbours and ports, ship safety and pilotage, crown corporations, and the Canada Shipping Act. Although the Canadian Shipping Act is predominately for the purpose of marine safety and efficiency, it is also responsible for the protection of the “marine environment from damage due to navigation and shipping activities”. Part XV of the Act concerns pollution prevention.

The Canadian Shipping Act includes:

• Part I.2: Boating Restriction Regulations – details the fines that are applied to various actions, such a speeding, ignoring or removing restriction sign, etc.
• Part II: Small Vessel Regulations – details the fines applied to all contraventions of small vessel operations.
• Part XV: Pollution Prevention, including Pleasure Craft Sewage Pollution Prevention Regulations – sewage disposal and holding tanks.

New boating safety regulations have been introduced by the federal government to help reduce the number of boating fatalities and accidents that occur each year. The new boating safety regulations are administered by Transport Canada.

For more information, visit the Office of Boating Safety website at http://www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/menu.htm or call the Boating Safety Infoline at 1-800-267-6687.

Link to the Canada Shipping Act

The Canadian Coast Guard has responsibility for pleasure craft, search and rescue, receiver of wrecks, and pollution preparedness and response.

Provincial Regulations and Responsibilities

Ontario Environmental Protection Act

Sewage discharges from recreational watercraft are regulated under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act, Regulation 343. The law requires that no person discharge or deposit sewage from a pleasure boat. “Sewage" means organic and inorganic waste, and includes fuel, lubricants, litter, paper, plastics, glass, metal, containers, bottles, crockery, rags, junk or similar refuse or garbage, and human excrement.

Regulation 351 of the Ontario Environmental Protection Act requires that the operator of a marina shall have pump-out facilities that are easily accessible to and can be conveniently used by occupants of pleasure boats in which toilets are installed.

Under the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s surface water program, staff focus their efforts on activities that are most likely to have human health impacts, impacts on aquatic organisms, cause impairment of fish habitats, cause water supply interference or result in exceedances of water quality limits. In that regard, staff does not routinely conduct inspections of boats and marinas. The Ministry encourages voluntary compliance through education/outreach activities through the Clean Marine Partnership Program. This program promotes awareness of environmental issues through industry associations. Generally, enforcement occurs when the boating public or marina associations report problems.

Environment Programs for Green Boating in Ontario:

• Clean Marine Partnership

The Clean Marine Partnership, started in 1995 between boating associations and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. It is a boater education program dealing with pollution from boats. The program was first introduced to reduce the impact of grey water discharge from boats but was later broadened to include other sources of pollution, including black water, bilge water, fuelling, products used on boats and solid waste disposal.

For the past three years, the Partnership has been implementing a three-pronged strategy focusing on reducing water pollution from recreational boating in Ontario:

1. Clean Marine Products: Promoting the manufacture, distribution and use of green marine products.
2. Clean Marine Practice: Pollution prevention at marinas and yacht clubs through implementing Best Environmental Practices.
3. Clean Marine Promotion: An environmental education and public awareness program aimed at boaters, marinas and yacht clubs.

The program has also recognised the potential for reductions in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the recreational boating sector. The new four-stroke marine engine produces only one-tenth the level of emissions of a fuel-injected two-stroke and one-40th the levels of emissions of a regular two-stroke marine engine. The four- stroke marine engines are now available in all sizes for a variety of marine applications.

Environmentally Responsible Boating

• Use non-toxic cleaning products to wash your boat, and clean it away from the river or lake.
• Pick up loose paint chips and other chemical substances.
• Carefully fuel your boat engine, using proper containers and equipment so as not to spill into the water.
• Properly maintain your boat and use a four-stroke engine. Better yet, minimize use by paddling or rowing.
• Don’t empty your waste into the water. Attempt to achieve zero discharge of all sewage from your boat into the water. Either discharge your waste at pump-out stations or – purchase a marine sanitation device.
• Encourage marinas to implement pollution prevention strategies.
• When taking your boat between water bodies, wash your boat thoroughly and check for invasive species can attach to boats or boating equipment.

For further information see: Ministry of Environment website - Protecting the Marine Environment – a Boaters Guide and The Federation of Onntario Cottager’s Association (FOCA).