Port of Vancouver imposes night-time ship movement restrictions in and around Southern Gulf Islands

Starting 1 July, commercial ships anchoring around the Southern Gulf Islands will have to avoid night-time arrivals and departures.

PHOTO: Port of Vancouver. Getty Images

In an effort to reduce the impact of Canada’s trade on coastal communities and minimize disruptions in the Southern Gulf Islands, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, along with its industry partners have requested ship operators to control noise disturbances caused by anchoring activities during night-time hours.

The Southern Gulf Islands is a group of islands located in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and British Colombia, Canada's western province.

The Vancouver Port Authority has outlined designated arrival and departure window between 7.00-23.00 local time. This new initiative will be implemented for a six-month trial period first, said the port authority.

This initiative, however, is applicable only to anchorages in and around the Southern Gulf Island, a spokesperson from the port authority tells ENGINE. "It is estimated that more than 75 nighttime ship arrivals and departures at Southern Gulf Islands anchorages will be avoided over the course of the trial period," the spokesperson adds.

According to a local media report, some local residents of the Southern Gulf Islands had raised concerns about the growing number of vessels anchoring in the area due to congestion in Port of Vancouver.

The port authority further said that it will continue to work with an active vessel traffic management program on further ways to reduce the use of Southern Gulf Islands anchorages and implement measures to reduce ships anchoring around the Islands.

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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