Madam Speaker, our government has worked with coastal and indigenous communities, and affected stakeholders and partners, to ensure the optimal development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to address abandoned and wrecked boats.
The wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels act is currently under review in the Senate. This legislation, once passed, will enhance federal powers to take proactive measures on problematic vessels and create a new compliance and enforcement regime to address abandoned and wrecked vessels.
Over the short term, the federal government is providing support for the assessment and removal of the highest-risk small abandoned boats, as mentioned previously.
Together, these measures ensure a comprehensive approach to abandoned and wrecked vessels that will both prevent new cases and clean up the existing stock of the problematic boats that are littering our coasts and waterways.