As the ferry cut through Juan de Fuca Strait on Tuesday morning, Cindy McNeil noticed a sickening iridescent sheen across the choppy waters. The Sooke resident wasn’t the only one alarmed by what she was seeing.
“It looked wrong—that rainbow effect you never want to see on water,” McNeil told me when I reached her by phone yesterday. “Several passengers were pointing and taking photos. We knew something was leaking somewhere.”
What McNeil witnessed was the early signs of what’s become an urgent environmental situation unfolding along British Columbia’s southern coastline. A derelict barge, long abandoned near Esquimalt, has begun leaking what appears to be fuel oil, prompting warnings from local First Nations and setting off a scramble among multiple levels of government to contain the potential damage.
The Esquimalt Nation issued an emergency notice Wednesday after community members reported a strong petroleum odor and visible slick spreading from the rusting vessel. Chief Robert Thomas didn’t mince words when describing the situation.
“We’ve been warning about these abandoned vessels for years,” Thomas said during an impromptu press conference at the shore. “Now we’re facing exactly what we feared—our traditional harvesting waters are at risk, and we don’t know yet how extensive the contamination might be.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. Spring brings critical harvesting seasons for coastal communities, with clam digging and other traditional food gathering typically ramping up in April and May.
According to Transport Canada records, the barge—a flat-bottomed vessel approximately 40 meters long—appears on abandoned vessel watchlists dating back to 2019. Despite being identified as potentially problematic, jurisdictional confusion between federal, provincial and local authorities has meant little action until now.
Environmental response teams from the Coast Guard arrived Wednesday afternoon, deploying containment booms around the vessel while assessment crews worked to identify the source and composition of the leak. Early estimates suggest several hundred liters of what appears to be bunker fuel may have already escaped.
“The challenge with these situations is that abandoned vessels deteriorate over time,” explained Dr. Mariah Chen, marine ecologist at the University of Victoria. “What might start as a small breach can quickly worsen, especially during spring storm seasons when we see more wave action against compromised hulls.”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Transport Canada’s vessel inventory for coastal British Columbia currently lists over 100 vessels of concern, with approximately 40 classified as high-priority risks for environmental damage.
Local fisherman Jake Williams has tracked the barge for months. “That thing’s been sitting there rusting away while everyone argues about whose responsibility it is,” Williams told me while scanning the water through binoculars from his small aluminum boat. “Meanwhile, the herring are running, the sea lions are feeding, and now we’ve got this mess spreading through it all.”
For the Esquimalt Nation, the leak represents more than just environmental damage—it threatens food security and cultural practices. “These waters feed our people, literally and spiritually,” said Elder Marianne Phillips. “When contamination happens, it’s not just about cleaning up oil—it’s about healing the relationship with these waters that might take years.”
Provincial Environment Minister Josie Simmons acknowledged the situation requires immediate attention. “We’re working with federal partners and First Nations to contain this spill while developing a permanent solution for the vessel itself,” Simmons said in a statement released Thursday morning.
The Coast Guard estimates complete containment and recovery operations could take up to two weeks, depending on weather conditions and the extent of hull damage. Meanwhile, the Esquimalt Nation has advised members to avoid harvesting seafood from affected areas until testing confirms it’s safe.
Budget figures released last month show the federal Abandoned Vessels Program has removed 115 vessels nationwide since 2019, but critics argue the $6.85 million annual funding falls short of addressing the estimated 1,500 problematic vessels along Canadian coastlines.
“We see this pattern repeatedly,” said Jordan Peterson with the Pacific Marine Advocacy Coalition. “Vessels are identified, catalogued, then left to deteriorate until they create an emergency. By then, cleanup costs ten times what early intervention would have.”
For residents like McNeil, the situation highlights deeper questions about marine stewardship. “I’ve lived on this coast my entire life, and I’ve watched how we treat these waters change,” she said. “My grandparents couldn’t imagine abandoning equipment to rust away in the ocean. Something’s broken in how we value this environment.”
As containment efforts continue, wildlife monitoring teams report increasing concern for migratory birds that use the area as a feeding ground during spring northward journeys. The Western Sandpiper, currently arriving in the region, is particularly vulnerable to contaminated shorelines.
While official damage assessments continue, the incident has already sparked renewed calls from coastal communities for a more comprehensive approach to derelict vessel management before more environmental emergencies occur.
“We shouldn’t need a leak to get action,” Chief Thomas emphasized. “These waters deserve better from all of us.”
