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A Vancouver Park Board commissioner is proposing prohibiting, or seriously restricting, the use of personal watercraft in the Burrard Inlet after a widely-publicized whale strike last month.
Tom Digby is set to have a motion restricting watercraft debated at a meeting on Monday night, and it would see park board staff advocating to senior governments for restrictions on watercraft like Jet Skis and Sea-Doos.
His motion comes a little under a month after a Sea-Doo struck a grey whale in the Burrard Inlet near Stanley Park, which led to major questions about boating rules and protecting marine wildlife in B.C.
Digby argued that the park board is uniquely positioned to advocate for restricting motorized personal watercraft, given that it is largely responsible for much of the beaches and shoreline space in the city.
WATCH | Grey whale hit by Sea-Doo rider:
Sea-Doo operator strikes grey whale off Vancouver’s Stanley Park
A grey whale that had been feeding in the waters off English Bay for days was struck by a person driving a Sea-Doo Monday night. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has launched an investigation into the incident. CBC’s Alanna Kelly spoke to witnesses about what they saw.
“We know that our swimming areas are constantly at risk and harassed by motorized personal watercraft like Jet Skis and Sea-Doos,” he told CBC News.
“Many swimmers will be very aware that, often, these very fast-moving vehicles are very close to the swim zone.”
A couple is seen riding on a personal watercraft on the Okanagan Lake near Kelowna, B.C., in August 2023. (Winston Szeto/CBC)
Digby said that many major cities around the world — such as Sydney, Australia, and Toronto — place serious restrictions on personal watercraft in their harbour areas.
“Vancouver is actually behind the 8-ball here,” he said. “Other jurisdictions are moving ahead, and I think the public wants to hear from the park board.”
Digby’s motion says that the park board’s current policies only address non-motorized watercraft, and they do not address the environmental or safety concerns raised by motorized personal watercraft.
What the rules say
There is no general speed limit for the waters off B.C.’s South Coast, though federal regulations require recreational boaters to keep a “safe speed” that allows them to anticipate and avoid collisions.
The Port of Vancouver does list specific speed limits of 15 knots through the First Narrows, 10 knots in Port Moody, and five knots in False Creek, Coal Harbour and Deep Cove.
Boat speed limits near Vancouver. (CBC News)
Boaters are also not permitted to operate at speeds faster than 10 km/h within 30 metres of the shore in B.C.
In addition, pleasure boaters are required to have their boats licensed, and to obtain a pleasure craft operator card before hitting the waters.
Digby agreed that personal watercraft operators can operate safely in areas that are far removed from shore.
“But you know, Vancouver is a growing city, and it’s just become a lot busier in recent years,” he said.
“It really raises the question of whether we still need to have … generally widely-available access for motorized personal watercraft.”