BOATING POLLUTION ECONOMICS & IMPACTS

SECTIONS
Environmental Health, Human Health & Economics
Pollution, Dredging & Haulout Costs
Dredge & Disposal Cost Table
Environmental Impact of Boating Pollutants Table (Page link)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LITTLE TRASH, some oil. fuel, cleaning agents or sewage go overboard from your boat?

Does it matter which hull paint you choose?

Can preventing pollution save money?

This page will answer your questions on the benefits of preventing boating pollution.

Even small amounts of pollution become a problem when they accumulate over time. Manufacturing, using and disposing boating products and equipment all contribute to the environmental impacts and costs of pollutants.

Boating pollutants in the water and sediment affect marine life and human health (see table). They may reduce the availability of quality seafood, raise health care & dredging costs and affect industries that need clean water, like tourism, fishing & water sports.

Environmental Health, Human Health and Economics
Some pollutants change water chemistry, so sediment contaminants are easily absorbed by marine Iife.⁸  Pollution makes marine animals less able to survive other stresses. This may affect fishing & other water uses.⁹

Studies of San Diego Bay & similar bays found fish living in polluted. urban water had more liver tumors and fin rot than fish in clean
water.^9,20,22

In 1989 anglers in southern California spent $536 million on saltwater sportfishing. ²⁷ Of nearly 3 million fish caught by anglers on ocean charter boats in 1989⁵, 5 species, or 27% spend significant periods in bays.^10,12,16 There are also substantial landings from private boats & fishing piers.^10,27 A decline in these fish could cost millions of dollars.

Quality seafood depends on clean water & sediment.⁹   The commercial value of halibut and white seabass for California in 1958 was $2.7 million.⁶ These fish live in bays when young.^12,16

Several viral, bacterial & parasitic diseases are shared between aquatic animals & humans.⁹   Sediment contaminants accumulate in some fish that live in bays and may be passed to people who consume them often.¹⁰

Pollution, Dredging & Haulout Costs Hull paint toxicants accumulate in the sediment of some harbors, such as San Diego Bay. ^15,28

Harbors need regular dredging to maintain water depth. Clean sediments are much cheaper to dredge & dispose. Costs may seem modest per cubic yard, but thousands of cubic yards are removed when a typical boat basin is dredged. (See table)

These costs may pass to marina tenants. Santa Cruz Port District calculated that if the 10,000 cubic yards dredged per year were disposed as hazardous waste, slip rental rates would rise by $1.50/foot. ²⁶  Because toxicants from hull paints and maintenance products contaminate harbor sediment, ^8,28  preventing pollution can save you money.

How fast toxicant leaches from hull paint depends on local conditions, paint chosen & hull cleaning practices. The longer toxicant stays on a hull, the less goes to the sediment and the less you spend on haulouts.
For more information, see our leaflets:

• Selecting a Hull Paint for Your Boat
• Selecting Underwater & Topside Maintenance Services for Your Boat
• Clean Boating Guide
• Clean Boating Tips

(Unless otherwise stated, material is from Connell and Miller 1984)