The Canadian transport authority has issued a $6,000 penalty to the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir William Alexander after the vessel failed to respect the temporary mandatory slow down in place for all vessels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The Coast Guard will have 30 days to pay the penalty or ask the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada to review the facts of the violation or the amount of the penalty.
Transport Canada on August 11, 2017, started implementing a temporary mandatory slow down of vessels 20 meters or more to a maximum of 10 knots in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence, between the Quebec north shore and just north of Prince Edward Island.
According to the agency, the action was undertaken to help ensure navigational safety and to protect the marine environment, due to the increased presence of whales in the area.
This is the second penalty issued in relation to Gulf of St. Lawrence speed restrictions. In an unrelated case in 2016, the Canadian Navy was ordered to pay a penalty of CAD$100,000 after frigate HMCS St. John’s spilled approximately 9000 liters of diesel into Halifax Harbour while at anchor.