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Recreational boaters and other small vessel operators can help protect marine life with a few simple steps aimed at preventing oil from getting into the water (Credit: NOAA).
While massive spill events like Deepwater Horizon can have devastating consequences for humans and the environment for many years, they don’t happen very often.
The largest source of day-to-day oil pollution comes from everyday marine traffic, like small privately owned boats and at marinas where vessels take on fuel or release oily bilge discharge. By staying on top of maintenance and being careful and attentive during refueling, boaters can be a part of the solution.
In areas where the oil industry has less of a presence, the small spill volumes from fishing and recreational boats can add up. These sorts of events create the largest source of oil pollution in some places. For example, in the state of Washington, spills from small vessels accounted for 75% of the oil spilled in local waters between 2006 and 2016.
Sometimes small vessels find themselves in challenging conditions, such as severe weather or an accident, that leads them to capsize or become grounded and spill fuel. While some incidents may be unpreventable, it’s important to take every step possible to prevent an oil spill. Boat owners and operators can reduce the risk of oil spills through proper vessel maintenance and planning ahead for emergencies—like severe weather—by making a disaster preparedness plan. When a hurricane is coming, boat owners should remove vessels from the water if possible, identify safe harbors, and check anchors and lines. Local marinas or emergency preparedness groups may have additional guidance specific to their area.
Because oil in the environment can cause harm to animals, plants, and people, we need to prevent problems when we can. By not dumping oil or oily waste into the sewer or garbage, we avoid adding to pollution. We can also find ways to avoid using oil in the first place. We can bike, walk, or take the bus rather than taking a car to places we need to go. When we use less oil, less needs to be transported and there's a lower risk of future oil spills. Oil spills happen because we rely on oil. That means that all of us share the responsibility for creating the problem of oil spills, and the responsibility for finding ways to solve the problem.
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