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A U.S.-bound cargo ship was damaged and taking on water near Bella Bella on British Columbia's central coast, officials said.
The Canadian Coast Guard said it received a report from the tugboat Malolo at about 10:15 a.m. PT Tuesday that the cargo barge it was loading was taking on water.
Officials say the boat was en route from Alaska to Seattle, Washington, when it was damaged, and there had been no reports of contamination as of Tuesday evening.
William Husti, director of integrated resource management for Heiltsuk First Nation, told CBC News they have received reports of a barge taking on water in Fisher Strait, about 15 kilometers east of Bella Bella.
“The dive survey showed that the hull of one part of the barge was damaged, so they must have fallen to the ground at some point,” he said.
Around 4:00 pm PT, Husti said the barge was in a “fairly exposed and vulnerable area” and rain and wind were expected on the Central Coast over the next 24 hours.
“Our team is currently working with the ship's captain and the Canadian Coast Guard to move the tug and barge to a nearby anchorage where we will place them in a safe harbor and install an oil safety barrier around the vessel,” he said.
The Canadian Coast Guard said in a post after 4 p.m. that the barge remained stable and was not actively sinking.
Alaska Marine Lines, the barge's owner, said its vessel was damaged during transportation.
“We have another barge on the way. Once it arrives, we will reload some of the cargo to lighten the load so that both barges can resume their journey,” the spokesman said.
“This barge is headed south to Seattle and does not carry any food or goods for Southeast Alaska. This will not cause any disruption to the supply chain for Southeast Alaska communities.”
Previous oil spill in the area
Husti said the exact contents of the barge are unknown to First Nations, adding to concerns and underscoring the position to reduce tanker traffic in this part of the Central Coast.
“We have had a dramatic increase in incidents like this over the last 10 years,” he said.
“Barges run aground and cause disturbances and things like that. So this is a huge concern for us right now.”
The most notable maritime disaster in the area was an oil spill caused by the sinking of a tugboat. Nathan E. Stewart west of Bella Bella in October 2016.
Texas-based Kirby Offshore Marine Corp. fined More than $2.9 million in fines after approximately 110,000 liters of diesel and fuel oil were spilled in sensitive fishing areas.
Husti said four vessels arrived on the barge on Tuesday and a rotating crew would remain in the area overnight.
“For us, this kind of shines a light on the gray area where American tugs and barges are going through Canadian waters, and there seems to be a lot of secrecy around what these vessels are carrying and where they are destined,” he said.
“What [makes] That's really hard to answer,” he added.
