Small ship tourism operators help remove 425 tonnes of trash from B.C. coastline
B.C.'s efforts to remove trash and debris from the province's coast have netted a huge haul this year.
Throughout 2021, provincially funded groups have removed more than 425 tonnes of marine debris, including plastic bottles, Styrofoam, abandoned nets and rope, abandoned boats and other trash.
The province says that the garbage was collected from 306 kilometres of B.C. shoreline.
Between May and June, nets and ropes made up roughly 42 per cent of all debris removed from coastlines, says the province, while 60 per cent of all items collected were considered recyclable.
Much of the debris will now be sent to specialized recycling facilities, where the garbage will be converted into pellets that can be used to make new plastic products. However, some previously recyclable materials may not be eligible now depending on how much it degraded in the ocean.
The debris were removed by the Small Ship Tour Operators Association – Wilderness Tourism Association, the Ocean Legacy Foundation and the Coastal Restoration Society through funding from the province's "Clean Coast, Clean Waters" program (CCCW).
The CCCW first launched last year as a way to support the coastal tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also improving the environment.
In total, the Small Ship Tour Operators Association employed 180 people for this summer's cleanup, including 111 tourism industry workers and 69 people from coastal Indigenous communities.
"The Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative is about getting plastic waste and marine debris out of the water and off our shores," said B.C. Minister of Environment George Heyman in a statement Wednesday.
"It is also about creating healthier coastal communities by keeping the waste out of our landfills," he said.
The province says some Clean Coast, Clean Waters projects are still ongoing, including a cleanup project led by the Songhees Development Corporation.
The $2-million project is looking to remove 100 derelict boats from around Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.