File Photo - The Cormorant
For 18 years, the Cormorant has sat at the Port of Bridgewater, abandoned and deteriorating in the LaHave River.
Now, after an assessment conducted to gauge the condition of the derelict vessel, the Canadian Coast Guard has deemed it a pollution threat.
Concerns were raised about the deteriorating condition of the ship’s mooring lines and hull during the assessment, with fears of it either breaking away from the port or sinking – Just as it did in 2015.
Pollutants leaking from the ship’s engine were also found inside the hull, prompting the Coast Guard to immediately work on securing and cleaning out the ship to prevent potential spilling.
Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, says an initial assessment in 2015 determined the ship wasn’t a pollution risk.
Unfortunately, years of neglect has taken its toll.
“Because no one has actually been monitoring the ship for the last four years since the assessment was done in 2015, things have deteriorated significantly,” she said.
“The Coast guard is now there stabilizing the ship and securing it so they can go in and deal with these problems.”
Work began this week to secure the ship to the port, verify the integrity of the ship’s hull and the coast guard has placed a floating orange barrier around it to prevent potential leaks of potential pollutants into the river.
News from #NovaScotia : UPDATE about the Cormorant docked in Bridgewater. We have started ventilating the vessel's interior work spaces to ensure the safety of our responders as operations continue. pic.twitter.com/yTUKML93kR
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) December 2, 2019
Meanwhile, a settlement on the ownership of the Cormorant has been approved by the Federal Court.
In a bid to move onto the disposal of the ship, the Port of Bridgewater volunteered to take ownership of the vessel following negotiations involving the port, a Nevada company that was found not to exist and the Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund.
Rick Welsford, president of the port, says while the approval of the ownership potentially leaves the port responsible for paying back the cost of re-floating the ship, it allows them to get on with selling it off and having it removed.
“Now that its been damaged, it probably has less value,” he said.
“Potentially, it could be used as an artificial reef, or it still could have value to take it away and break it up for the scrap steel, engine components and things like that.”
As for if the vessel could ever be repaired and used again, he said nothing would surprise him at this point.
“I know it won’t be me doing it,” he laughed.
Welsford said in its current state, he doesn’t know how much the ship would be worth, and he’s more focused on it getting rid of it.
The ship’s value could come into play though, as the port may find itself responsible for reimbursing the Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund for the work done in 2015 to the tune of $375,000.
Welsford said its unknown whether or not that cost will fall on the port, as there is evidence the boat was sunk intentionally.
He said if deemed a criminal act, the funds become non-reimbursable.
“All of this needs to be discussed when we finally see what the final bill is,” he said.
“In other words, when the ship is disposed of and gone, we’ve gotta sit down and we will talk that through.”
Welsford said the evidence of intentional sinking was shown to him during the initial 2015 assessment.
He says the evidence is in the hands of the Coast Guard and hopes it will be a point of conversation once the ship is dealt with.
The Cormorant is currently up for sale, and work to secure the ship and clean out the pollutants is expected to run for the next month.
As for the other two derelict Trawlers at the port, Welsford says an offer to purchase them has been made, and they are awaiting approval from the courts to proceed with that deal.
