Port Metro Vancouver, Port Moody tackle unauthorized moorage

The Canadian port and City of Port Moody formed a partnership to establish an anchorage area to resolve issues related to abandoned and illegally anchored vessels in Port Moody Inlet.    Port Metro Vancouver and the City of Port Moody, located 11 miles east of Port Metro Vancouver, are establishing a designated anchorage area to resolve issues associated with abandoned and illegally anchored vessels in Port Moody Inlet.
   Up to 20 vessels will be authorized to anchor in the designated anchorage area for a maximum of 21 days within a 40-day period, Port Metro Vancouver said.
   Administration of the area will be handled by the City of Port Moody. Port Metro Vancouver will monitor waters outside the area and address illegally anchored vessels beyond it.
   The designated anchorage area will be operational by March 2016. Port Metro Vancouver and the City of Port Moody initially agreed to work together on the project in 2013.
   As the program gets up and running, Port Metro Vancouver will mark the designated anchorage area with buoys and post notices on anchored boats in the inlet requesting they register in the program. Vessel owners that are non-compliant with the request to move will be advised their vessel will be towed.
   In addition, the City of Port Moody will establish a booking and management system for the designated anchorage area.
   “Unauthorized long-term moorage in Port Moody Inlet has been a community concern for some time, and poses a potential threat to navigation and the environment,” Port Metro Vancouver Vice President of Planning and Operations Peter Xotta said in a statement.
   “This designated anchorage area program will give us more control over unauthorized recreational moorage, and will allow us to take action to address concerns about safety, environmental impacts, and interference with other recreational uses,” City of Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay said.
   Situated on the southwest coast of British Columbia, Port Metro Vancouver facilitates trade with over 160 economies and handles a variety of cargo including containers, breakbulk and project cargo, bulk and automobiles.