INTERTANKO sought clarification from Transport Canada on further requirements for ballast water discharge, specifically in West Coast ports, according to NorthStandard P&I Club.
As informed by NorthStandard, the procedure was clear for the East Coast of Canada; vessels do not need to exchange treated ballast or flush empty tanks unless heading to specific Canadian freshwater areas listed in TP 13617. However, this notification was not confirmed or provided for the West Coast.
The clarification for the West Coast has been summarised below:
Only ships traveling to freshwater ports need to comply with the requirement to exchange plus treat (E+T) ballast water. When calling the West Coast of Canada, the freshwater areas include the ports of Kitimat, Stewart and the Fraser River ports.
More specifically, in the case of Vancouver:
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ships traveling to berths west of either Tilbury or Mitchell Islands on the arms of the Fraser River are not required to E+T.
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ships traveling to berths east of these islands are required to E+T.
Read the full document on the Government of Canada website here.
