P.E.I. seeks to enhance boater safety as more people take to the water

The P.E.I. government is looking to partner with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary to provide Islanders information on safe boating.

The Department of Fisheries and Communities is offering funding that would allow the organization to have a person go from harbour to harbour during the summer to educate boaters on safety procedures.

"[They would] promote boater safety, do pleasure craft safety checks to ensure the proper equipment is on board when these people are out on the water," Fisheries Minister Jamie Fox said.

"If we ensure, or push, craft operators out there to have the appropriate safety flares and life-jackets and that kind of equipment, this would help probably lessen the amount of offshore rescues."

The auxiliary is a group of pleasure craft boaters and commercial fishers who volunteer to promote boating safety and also assist in search and rescue.

Fox said the new position is a response to a rise in recreational boaters setting outon provincial waters.

"We are seeing a vast more amount of pleasure boaters on our waters. I've noticed that in our department, especially around our aquaculture areas and around our commercial fishermen," he said.

"With that, I think there's an opportunity for the coast guard to [partner] with us to provide this information to our boaters."