Fabian Manning, Member of Parliament (Avalon), on behalf of the Honorable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), has announced the details of a contract valued at $1.6 million to remove two derelict vessels that have been abandoned at the Small Craft Harbours’ wharf in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador. He also states that Fisheries and Oceans Canada will provide the funding to have these two rusty eyesores removed from the wharf at Bay Roberts.
It is said that this action will eliminate any future potential environmental or safety hazards and free up valuable space at the wharf. DFO has been trying hard for several years to remove hazardous material and preparing them for disposal. It is told that since 2003, the Canadian Coast Guard and Small Craft Harbours have been monitoring these vessels and taking necessary corrective measures to ensure that they remained safely berthed at the wharf in Bay Roberts.
The contract for the removal of the vessels has been awarded to Marine Recycling Corporation of Port Colborne, Ontario. These vessels were seized in 2006 to the Crown under the Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act in order to permit the removal or disposal of the vessels by a contractor selected through a procurement process.
