The 10-day long, coast-wide labour dispute involving ship and dock forepersons has impacted cargo loading and offloading activities at many terminals and significantly disrupted port operations. As a result, several commercial vessels are currently waiting offshore to enter the Port of Vancouver and proceed to berth, as anchorage availability at the Port of Vancouver and in the South Coast region is limited and we are unable to simultaneously accommodate all vessels in the anchorage areas at this time.
The port authority is actively coordinating with Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Pacific Pilotage Authority to increase situational awareness and enhance safety for ships bound for the Port of Vancouver and Southern B.C. This includes monitoring pending vessel arrivals, berth and anchorage capacity, weather forecasts, vessels holding off the B.C. coast, and developing vessel traffic contingency plans.
The port authority is also ensuring available anchorages are allocated transparently and provides port users with visibility over current capacity, projected demand, and the pending vessel arrival list via our daily anchorage utilization report. You can access this daily report here.
As the port authority begins the recovery process and works to support clearing backlogs, we are implementing a priority-based anchorage allocation system to balance the needs of all business sectors and commodities.
Anchorage allocation measures and considerations in effect to support port fluidity and recovery
To ensure available anchorage capacity supports port capacity optimization, the port authority is requesting that port terminal operators confirm anticipated and estimated berthing dates for arriving vessels. We are also taking the following actions to manage ship traffic and support fluidity in the anchorage areas throughout the recovery phase:
- Categorizing vessels based on terminal/shipper priority and importance: Vessel categorization is determined by factors such as cargo type and labour availability, berthing windows, and critical supply chain requirements. The port authority is coordinating closely with terminals—on their operating plans—and shippers—on their vessel lineups—to determine priorities.
- Allocating anchorages based on estimated time of berthing (ETB): Vessels are assigned to anchorages based on their ETB. Vessels scheduled to berth within 48 hours are given higher priority at Port of Vancouver anchorages (i.e. English Bay and Indian Arm), ensuring flexibility for terminal operations.
- Using Inner Harbour anchorages to expedite ship turnarounds: these anchorages are dedicated to facilitating short-term stays for bunkering, hold inspections, fumigation, staging to/from terminals, etc., and streamlining ships’ arrival and departure processes.
- Collaborating with port users and stakeholders: We are engaging in collaborative discussions with port users, shippers, terminal operators, shipping companies, and other stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the priority-based allocation system. This dialogue and collaboration help refine the system and address any concerns or suggestions from the parties involved.
- Opening the berths at Canada Place’s cruise terminal for enhanced surge capacity: The pilot trial to support supply chain resilience at the port during the cruise off-season is underway, and the berths at Canada Place are available as an alternative to conventional anchorage locations. Enquiries can be made via our 24/7 Operations Centre.
Working together to streamline ship arrivals in port or at anchor
We recognize that vessels may choose to proactively hold offshore, and we encourage supply chain partners to consider offshore areas (i.e. within 12 nautical miles of Buoy Juliet and the entrance to Juan De Fuca Strait) as an ‘arrived’ location for the purpose of the issuance of the Notice of Readiness.
As more is needed to prevent further congestion and delays, the port authority is also asking ship operators calling the Port of Vancouver to take the necessary actions—such as slow steaming—to practice near-time arrival whenever possible. Prioritizing near-time arrivals will help the port community to:
- Reduce the demand for anchorages and maintain a certain level of port fluidity
- Reduce further port congestion and delays
- Minimize environmental and community impacts
- Support port recovery and resilience following the resolution of the labour action
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this situation and appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions or require clarifications, please contact our 24/7 Operations Centre by phone at 604-665- 9086 or email at [email protected]