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Tour Boat Operator Fined under Canada Shipping Act
Published in the June 2006 issue of Transportation Notes - View Article
In a press release issued in May, Transport Canada announced that a Nova Scotia tour boat operator had been fined $10,000 for a number of offences under the Canada Shipping Act.
In August of 2005, the operator took a group of 29 paying passengers on board the vessel Highland Dancer for a whale-watching tour. The vessel was certified to carry 20 passengers. An investigation by Transport Canada led to a number of charges being laid, including overloading a passenger vessel, operating a passenger vessel without a safety certificate and operating a passenger vessel without a certificated master, engineer or radio operator.
The press release goes on to say that Transport Canada is committed to prosecuting illegal tour boat operations and actively monitors the activities of tour boat operators. However Transport Canada encourages passengers to take responsibility for their own safety by verifying that the tour boat that they board has been certified by Transport Canada.
Every tour boat should be showing a decal demonstrating that it is operating with a Marine Safety Inspection Certificate. Passengers should ensure that this decal is visible. If it is not, passengers should ask to see the operator’s Inspection Certificate or Notice of Inspection.
Tour boat operators without certification should be reported to the nearest Transport Canada Marine Safety office.