More patrols and more action made for a busy but successful 2009 summer season for the Shuswap Lake Integrated Enforcement Unit.

The unit, made up of members of Sicamous RCMP, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and North Okanagan conservation officers, spent hours and hours patrolling the waters of Shuswap, Little Shuswap and Mara lakes targeting things such as unsafe boating and environmental infractions.

“Through public outreach, through the media  and through townhall meetings held in Sicamous and Mara, the unit made an impact on local residents,” said Vernon-based conservation officer Josh Lockwood.

There were no fatalities on the lakes patrolled by the unit, compared to four in 2008.

Officers encountered numerous violations ranging from no licencing, meaning boats didn’t have registration numbers on them, a requirement of the small vessel operators regulations – which brings with it a $288 fine – to failing to have the now-required competency card, which all boaters must have as of Sept. 15, 2009.

Several tickets were issued for not having the proper number of persons in a boat while towing, a rule that requires there be a spotter in the boat who is competent to give directions should there be an incident with the person or persons being towed.

And several tickets were issued for boaters not wearing or not having a sufficient number of approved life vests.

Such violations bring with them fines ranging from $250 to $345.

One boat was ordered not to leave the dock or be on the lake because of capacity and numbers (of people) and the condition of the vessel.

A privately owned houseboat was ordered removed from the lake as a result of blackwater discharge into the lake.

The unit is also investigating 55 foreshore developments which include such things as damage to fish habitat, trespassing under the Land Act and illegal docks and buoys.

Lockwood said a previous attitude on the lake of ‘if my neighbour does it I can do it,’ in relation to damaging the foreshore, is changing.

All of Shuswap Lake was photographed and video taped in 2008 so any significant foreshore or development violations that took place after that would be easy to explain to the courts.

Lockwood said he hopes the unit, which is reliant on funding, can be back patrolling the waters next summer, and hopes to expand the agency partnership to including Environment Canada and the new Office of Boat Safety, which now has an officer based out of Kelowna.