The Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels Act

Transcript

What a beautiful sight! The blue water, the light breeze, the…wait…zoom in a little…is that an abandoned boat?!

These rotting, sinking boats shouldn’t be here—they pose a hazard to public health, the environment, and the local economy!

And unfortunately, there are hundreds of them around Canada.

Luckily, Canada’s Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act—or WAHVA for short—is here to help.

A key measure under the Oceans Protection Plan, WAHVA supports the removal of abandoned boats from our coastlines.

For example, it makes it illegal to abandon a boat. That means boat owners are liable for disposing their vessels responsibly.

If an owner is unresponsive, Transport Canada will work with its local partners to remove the boat and recoup costs from the owner.

Thanks to WAHVA, hundreds of boats have already been removed from our waters, helping to keep our waters safer, cleaner, and healthier than ever. And under the Oceans Protection Plan, more and more abandoned boats will continue to be removed.

On-screen text: To learn more about WAHVA, or to report an abandoned boat that you’ve spotted, visit our website.

tc.canada.ca/abandonedboats

A message from the Government of Canada.