MV Farley Mowat, the former flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation society, has sunk in Nova Scotia’s Shelburne Harbour.
The rusting vessel, named after the writer of “The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float,” had been anchored at the harbour since September.
Only the tip of MV Farley Mowat is now visible.
Shelburne Mayor Karen Mattatall asked whether the boat once used for environmental causes has now become an environmental threat.
“My personal concern is the pollution in the harbour, the sea life and whatever,” she said. “We have wonderful marine life there and that’s my concern: protecting that.”
Port staff noticed the boat was taking on water Wednesday, and by 1:30 a.m. Thursday it had begun to sink. The Canadian Coast Guard put a 182-metre boom around the boat to contain the debris.
“There is still shearing coming from the vessel,” said senior response officer Keith Laidlaw.
“We’ve had a Transport Canada 950 surveillance plane fly over the area to see just how extensive the polluting is.”
There is no word on how long it will take to clean up the site and salvage the ship.
With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett in Shelburne, Nova Scotia
