Marine cleanup teams now have access to more funding from the provincial government to aid their work in cleaning up B.C.'s coastlines. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

clean coasts

Coastal cleanup teams to receive $25M in new provincial funding

May 30, 2023 | 3:12 PM

PARKSVILLE — New funding is set to see more of B.C.’s coastline receive additional attention to remove debris and pollutants.

At an event at Rathtrevor Provincial Park on Tuesday, May 30, minister of environment and climate change strategy George Heyman announced $25 million in new funding for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters program.

The program, which began in 2020, pays for groups in local communities to conduct cleanup efforts to remove debris and derelict vessels in open coastlines or in marinas.

“We have cleaned to date nearly 4,600 kilometres of shoreline, removed more than 1,500 tonnes of debris and upcycled or recycled nearly 64 per cent of the material we’ve recovered from our shoreline.”

Tuesday’s funding announcement more than doubles the initial outlay and sees nearly $50 million committed by the provincial government between the program’s start through mid-2024.

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Funding is being issued in two rounds with the first one closing off last week. Heyman said of the 21 applications received, seven were to clean up derelict vessels while the remainder were for general debris.

Successful applicants will be notified in early June and a second round will take place early next year.

Approximately $4 million is earmarked for the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative which is a partnership of nine First Nations on B.C.’s north and central coasts.

Their work involves the restoration and protection of ecosystems through sustainable resource management practices.

“A lot of work has been done on the central and north coast of Vancouver Island, some also on Haida Gwaii and we will see where the other applications come from,” Heyman added. “We know there is a lot of work left to do but up till 2020 we weren’t doing any of it except by some volunteers who would go out.”

Items which can be recycled are sent to a facility in Steveston and turned into plastic pellets, and eventually new plastic materials.

Since starting during the pandemic, projects funded through Clean Coast, Clean Waters have generated over 1,700 jobs across coastal B.C.

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