According to Arthur Jones, Vice President of Building and Development Services for GBPA, violation of such by-laws are on the increase.
"Following legitimate complaints from residents who live along the canals regarding abuse of sea craft movements, it has become necessary to remind the public of some of the by-laws which govern the inland waterways and canals," said Jones.
Citing safety concerns associated with such misuse, Jones explained that some boaters are speeding to the point of creating a wash or wake.
"They're causing too much turbidity in the water and creating excessive scouring effects on the foundation of seawalls. This thereby creates erosion, making the sea-walls unstable and damaging protection to the properties along the waterways," Jones added.
Additionally, according to the by-laws, commercial sea craft operators are not allowed to bring booze cruises, banana boats, jet skis, etc. into the canals. The penalty for violation of such laws is three months imprisonment and revocation of licences.
"The Port's stance is that we want persons to obey the by-laws. We will post signs to remind the public of the by-laws and penalties for violating them. Also, we expect to receive additional monitoring from the police with regard to this matter," stated Jones.
He further clarified that these by-laws pertain to the use of inland waterways or canals, and not to the channel leading into Port Lucaya which has a marina with commercial operations.
