Industry News

VICTORIA FLOATING BOAT SHOW – THIS WEEKEND!

The BC Yacht Brokers Association Victoria Floating Boat Show opens on Thursday, April 16, and runs through to Sunday, April 19. Show hours are: Thursday to Saturday – 10am to 6pm; Sunday – 10am to 5pm. Over 150 boats will be on display – including a 59’ Marquis brought in by Blackfish Marine – along with many booth exhibits featuring marine products ranging from electronics and accessories to resorts to insurance and much, much more. Visit www.floatingboatshows.com for information on travel, accommodation (including a special offer from Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites) and exhibitors.

EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES AT KOREA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Free exhibit space, accommodations and presentation opportunities among the incentives offered by BC Government.

The Government of British Columbia, through its Asia-Pacific Initiative, is ambitiously pursuing diverse markets in Asia to help B.C.-based companies export their goods and services and expand their investment opportunities. A government sponsored booth has been secured at the 2009 Korea Intl Boat Show. British Columbia is actively recruiting BC companies to exhibit within the BC Pavilion. Space is limited and this is on a first come per served basis.

As an exhibitor within the BC Pavilion, you are entitled to the following:

·         Exhibit your products within the BC Pavilion for free

·         Complimentary hotel accommodation up to 7 nights

·         Business networking reception jointly hosted by Korean and BC government

·         Presentation opportunities at business seminars

·         Access to business matching services provided by the BC’s Trade & Investment offices in Seoul

Korea International Boat Show ranks among Asia’s top boat shows. The 2008 show featured 240 Korean and international exhibitors, and had a total of 350,100 business and individual visitors. Also running concurrently with the show was the World March Racing tour Korea March Cup. Last year, the tour had 12 of the world’s best skippers, featuring the largest purse of the Match Racing tour as well as cutting-edge crafts from both Korea and the world.

Held on June 3-7, 2009 at Jeongok Marina, Ansan City Korea, The 2009 Boat Show will feature a variety of exciting events including:

·         Boat and Marine Leisure Equipment Exhibitions (with indoor/outdoor/on-the-water displays)

·         Marine lifestyle experiences (boat & yacht trial rides)

·         Industry conference and workshops(boat manufacturing, design, marketing/distribution)

·         Cultural festival ( performance, concerts, fashion shows)

For additional information on Korea Intl Boat Show, please check out their website: http://www.koreaboatshow.org/eng/index.jsp

Please contact Joy Shi at the BC Government (Phone: 604-660-5871 or E-mail: joy.shi@gov.bc.ca ) to find out more about this unique opportunity.

NEW ALBERTA MARINE DEALERS ASSOCIATION FORMED

The newly formed Alberta Marine Dealers Association announced the first executive with Rob Dawson as its first President. Dawson is the Chair, Auto Body, Marine Service and OPET, of NAIT, An Institute of Technology Committed to Student Success. Tim Martin, Sherwood Marine and Trail is the Vice President, Thane Tupper, Free Spirit Marine sits as Treasurer, and Derwyn Repchuk with Western Marine / Godfrey is the Secretary. Directors-at-large include Keith Warren (Calgary Powerboat Service), Bob McMillan (B&L Marine), Tim Pansiuk (Gibbons Motortoys), Craig Robertson (Cycle Works) and Brian Ingram-Johnson (Mercury Marine). A number of initiatives will be pursued over the coming months, including involvement in Grow Boating and development of membership benefits.

BCMTA looks forward to working with the board of the AMDA and provide assistance as they develop their association and membership.

WELCOME NEW BCMTA MEMBERS!

BCMTA is pleased to welcome new member Coronation Insurance in Port Coquitlam. We encourage you to visit their website: www.coronationinsurance.com to learn more about their services.

SPORT FISHING INSTITUTE MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

The Sport Fishing Institute of BC is currently undertaking a membership drive and invites you to learn more about their organization. Over the years the recognition of the importance of recreational fishing as part of BC's way of life has steadily grown, and anglers, residents and visitors alike are committed to ensuring the fishing resources are protected.

That's what the Sport Fishing Institute of BC is all about — the sustainability and protection of fish stocks and the continued growth of anglers' expectations and opportunities to enjoy the resource. SFI is a non-profit society, governed by an elected Board of Directors. We depend solely on membership fees and contributions from anglers and the many businesses that serve them.

Attached, please find a membership sign-up form, or visit: www.sportfishing.bc.ca.

BOAT FOR HOPE NEEDS SKIPPERS AND BOATS

With three events scheduled across the province – Victoria on June 6; Vancouver on June 13 and Kelowna on June 20 – Variety, The Children’s Charity needs your help! Boat for Hope is about more than just a day on the water. The event raises significant funds for Variety - The Children's Charity. Corporate and community partners donate funds, products and volunteers to make the Variety Boat for Hope, presented by Pharmasave a one-of-a-kind experience for B.C. children and their families. Local skippers also raise money by collecting pledges from the community to bring in much-needed funds. Since its inception, the Variety Boat for Hope, presented by Pharmasave has raised over $500,000 to inspire hope, enrich lives and build a better future for BC's children.

To sign up a boat or find out how you can participate, please contact: chris.graham@variety.bc.ca.

                                       

PLEASURE CRAFT LICENCING TRACKING (March, 2008 to March, 2009)

Numbers starting to climb after winter slowdown

Month	New	Transfers	Other	Total	WA, USA
Mar ‘08	497	339	60	896	603*
April ‘08	849	523	95	1,467	742*
May ‘08	1,058	731	94	1,883	922*
June ‘08	1,101	849	97	2,044	861*
July ‘08	1,283	912	127	2,322	6,795
August ‘08	762	707	90	1,559	4,643
September ‘08	377	387	64	828	2,997
October ‘08	239	263	37	539	1,482
November ‘08	158	167	24	349	1,151
December ‘08	74	126	17	217	990
January ‘09	84	167	20	393	n/a
February ‘09	201	191	23	415	n/a
March ‘09	326	329	86	743	n/a
Total (since Mar’08)	7,009	5691	748	12,912

*New dealer sales only

See attached graphs for quick view of activity.

Comparative Analysis for March, 2009:           

·         Activity doubles over February, 2009 in all provinces (both transfers and new boat licencing)

·         New boat sales activity in Canada – second overall (1. ON [837]; 3. QB [311]; 4. AB [141]; 5. SK [82])

·         Transfers – third overall (1. ON [1,177]; 2. QC [660]; 4. AB [71])

·         Total new boat licences in Canada – 1,819 (February=936)

·         Total transfers in Canada – 2,311 (February=1,046)

·         Total activity in Canada (March – 4,563) - (February – 2,192) - (January – 1,565)

·         Comparison to Washington State activity – First Quarter, 2009 information not yet available.

Previous Year Comparison (March, 2008 versus March, 2009)

·         Overall, new boat licencing across Canada remains lower than one year ago (2008: 2,293 versus 2009: 1,819)

·         Licence transfers though have increased significantly – 2008: 1,543 versus 2009: 2,311

·         For British Columbia, new boat licencing was down approximately 30%, consistent with the national trend; and licence transfers are almost identical to last year’s numbers.

·         Quebec saw the strongest comparative returns for March: new boat licences in 2008 were 249, 2009: 311; transfers in 2008 were 330 compared to 2009: 660.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE

By Jane McIvor              

Meetings since last report:

1. Western Marine Community Coalition Olympic Security Meeting (March 10, 2009)
2. Regional CMAC (March 11, 2009)
3. Conference call with MoE regional representatives re Shuswap Lake / grey water (March 23, 2009)
4. BC Marine Conservation Analysis Working Group Conference Call (March 23, 2009)
5. Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel (March 25, 2009)
6. Navaids and Navigation Safety Sub-committee (March 25, 2009)
7. Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area Forum (March 26, 2009)
8. Lunch with Norm Dyck (re: update from NRBAC) (April 1, 2009)
9. Numerous calls, e-mails and letters relating to all categories listed in this report

Updates on ongoing issues:

-          Fuel Stations –  

o        False Creek – ESSO is currently waiting for ESSO to receive results from environmental testing before moving forward. Issue of City permission to run fuel lines across city property has been resolved.

o        Fisherman’s Cove  – A meeting is scheduled for April 2, 2009 with all stakeholders, including Martin Vale (WVYC), Bruce Falkins, ESSO and the City. Martin will provide an update after the meeting but noted the process is “going slowly nowhere”.

 

-          BC Marine Conservation Analysis – a third meeting (via conference call) was held on March 23, 2009. Discussions during the meetings continue to focus on perceived flaws within the analysis, specifically

o        Values assigned are subjective and will obviously hold the bias of the contractors which is extremely slanted toward the environment. This will in turn influence information provided to policy makers.

o        The whole focus of the exercise is on conservation and biological diversity – there is no capacity in the program to overlie economic value of marine industry sectors.

o        The measurement grid (where values are applied) is too large to capture smaller industry activity – there is significant concern that some activities will be overlooked in this process.

o        The example of California’s coast was provided – it showed approximately 30% of the coast as being high in conservation value. Concern was again expressed that this sort of result would be used to lobby for restricted areas.

     
We have reached agreement that all maps will come with clarifiers which will outline the deficiencies of the product. I will continue to participate until an actual product is presented that can be reviewed. See related information regarding PNCIMA below.

-          Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) Forum – approximately 300 stakeholders attended the Forum, including senior federal DFO reps, provincial reps, First Nations and environmental champions (e.g., David Suzuki). The planning process for this program is estimated to take three to five years before completion (although there was an indication that the federal government will try to implement a two-year time frame).  PNCIMA is part of a Memorandum of Understanding on Collaborative Oceans Governance for PNCIMA (and one of five areas covered under the Large Ocean Management Areas that span across Canada). PNCIMA covers the area from Northern Vancouver Island (starting at Campbell River) and to the Alaska / Canada border in the north.  Two key elements of Canada’s Ocean Strategy include: 1) the establishment of new institutional governance mechanisms to improve decision making; and 2) the collaborative development of integrated management planning to minimize conflicts amongst users.

-          Provincial Grey water and Shuswap Lake Process

o        Quite a bit of activity in this area:

§         Minister Penner has responded to the BC Marine Trades Association following our meeting and subsequent letter. To summarize, he indicates a willingness to work with BCMTA and Georgia Strait Alliance to develop options and recommendations that can be put forward to the Municipal Sewage Regulation Review Team. While there is still an intent to move forward with a grey-water compliance project on the Shuswap/Mara Lakes, Minister Penner has noted that, “while Section 13 applies equally to all parts of the province, this compliance project is limited to just the Shuswap/Mara Lakes. Information gathered through the project will help to inform our review of the legislation dealing with liquid wastes, including consideration of what changes, if any, to make to Section 13.”

BCMTA welcomes the opportunity to work with the Ministry to develop options and recommendations and is currently working on a document to provide background and best practices in relation to grey water discharge for Shuswap and Mara Lakes. However, we will continue to address the jurisdictional and feasibility issues related to Section 13.

While the current government has provided assurances that the Section is only being applied to Shuswap, as long as the legislation remains, there is no guarantee that it will be used in other areas of the province. BCMTA is a strong advocate for environmental best boating practices but remains adamant that Section 13 goes beyond provincial jurisdiction and is simply not feasible.

§         Norm Dyck, as chair of the RRBAC and western rep on the National Recreational Boating Advisory Committee, gave a presentation at their recent meeting. Transport Canada agreed to establish a sub-committee (three federal TC reps) who will request a legal ruling from TC’s legal department.

§         I had a conference call with MoE regional reps in the Thompson-Okanagan area. It was quite productive – here is the recap of discussion (as related to MoE following the call):

·         while we agree to disagree on the legitimacy and jurisdiction of Section 13, we agree that we should move forward to develop information that can be communicated to the boating community on best practices for grey water discharge (while the information will be used for Shuswap Lake, it will be generic enough that it can apply anywhere in the province) – I have suggested that it does not reference Section 13 or mandatory compliance. I recognize here that your instructions are to still follow through on mandatory compliance with Section 13 however, for the sake of providing best practice information to boaters and not getting bogged down in the politics regarding this Section, we have identified a compromise which appears to satisfy both of our goals to develop useful and constructive material that will promote boating best practices.

·         I have committed to researching and drafting a best management practice document. I will look into the Australia experience as well as some of the initiatives being taken by boat manufacturers for new boats which addresses grey water.

·         we agree that BCMTA will still oppose mandatory compliance and specifically will continue to encourage the provincial government to repeal (or re-word) Section 13.

§         Thanks to the many boaters and boating industry reps who wrote to the Minister to voice their concerns about Section 13. Below is the response people are now receiving back from the Minister.

§         I had an additional discussion with Christa and she noted that there are questions within the Ministry about whether this is the best route to go for cleaning up the environment. She said that there is a Code and Regulation Review scheduled in the Fall and this Section is being included as part of that review.

I updated her on my discussion with the regional MoE reps and our commitment to develop best practice guidelines (without reference to mandatory compliance) which can be communicated out to boaters this summer.

-          PACMAR / NAVAIDS –

o        Private mooring buoys – a meeting is being scheduled with Transport Canada to discuss issues and objectives. Transport Canada has indicated that they would like to work with municipalities to help address enforcement of guidelines for placing and marking buoys.

o        Canadian Hydrographics Services – Dave Prince provided a review of activity over the past year. They received quite a bit of funding from Department of National Defence which allowed them to produce a significant number of updates. Highlights include:

§         The Cruising Atlas for Gulf Islands (3313) and the Pacific Coast Chart Catalogue are both at press.

§         Kitimat / Gateway – 13 charts in various stages of production.

§         Clayoquot – recently released

§         Three new charts for Prince Rupert area, including Schooner Entrance.

§         Re-issued whole suite of e-charts – 230 ENC files; 26 new ENCs; 30 Notice to Mariner updates.

§         CHS is making great progress on their “hydrographic production database” which is a complete shift in technology for them.

§         They are also working on a Transboundary ENC project with US counterparts to sort out overlapping mapping issues (e.g., Dixon Entrance). Ultimately, CHS will cancel some charts and issue new ones related to this.

o        Feedback on the changes to the Weather Broadcast Services have noted a number of issues with the changes, covering separated weather information; extended forecasts and forecast accuracy in some areas; length of continuous marine broadcasting. Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services will be evaluating feedback and making changes where warranted.

o        Canadian Coast Guard is now involved in the E-navigation project along with Canadian Hydrographic Services and Transport Canada.  CCG will be taking the leadership role in development and implementation of e-navigation in Canada. Currently being developed worldwide, the concept is being coordinated along with the International Maritime Organization. Definition of e-Navigation: “the harmonized collection, integration, exchange and presentation of maritime information onboard and ashore by electronic means to enhance berth to berth navigation and related services, for safety and security at sea and protection of the marine environment.”

-          REGIONAL CMAC

o        New Office of Boating Safety Acting Manager announced – Philip Murdock.

o        Ship Safety Bulletin issued – Importance of Properly Fitting Effective Radar Reflector on Small or Non-Metallic Vessels: to remind owners and operators of fitting an effective and practicable radar reflector to help avoid collisions between small and large vessels. The bulletin can be found at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2008/07-eng.htm.

o        Small Vessel Regulations are still be worked on and it is anticipated they will go to Gazette I by late April/early May. Changes have been previously noted (please contact jane@bcmta.com if you would like to review again). There remain a few issues related to the changes specifically relating to the new Construction Standards and the fact that they have not yet been circulated (hence, cannot provide comment on the changes with the Small Vessel Regulations until we see what changes are contained with the Construction Standards).

-          BAREBOAT CHARTER DEFINITION – letter received from Transport Canada confirming classification of bareboat charters will remain as pleasure craft. Noted that Transport Canada inspectors will be monitoring charter operations closely to ensure they follow the correct procedures, including that owners are not hired as skippers. A meeting is scheduled in Ottawa during CMAC to discuss the classification of sail-training charters (Mike Vollmer has the lead on this).

Next Meetings:

• Western Marine Community Board / Security Meeting (April 6, 2009)
• Chamber of Shipping Education Course (April 16, 2009)
• National CMAC (April 27 – 30, 2009)
• Regional Recreational Boating Advisory Committee (May 12, 2009)
• Canadian Safe Boating Council (May 14, 2009)
• Pacific Coast Marine Review Panel (May 27, 2009)
• Navaids and Navigation Safety Sub-committee (May 27, 2009)