Thursday August 5, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Jalen Codrington | Island Social Trends | Editor: Mary P Brooke, B.Sc.
Three organizations will be getting a boost in funding from the provincial government, to help clean up marine debris along BC’s coasts. In a media conference today, Parliamentary Secretary for Environment Kelly Greene announced the development and ecotourism groups which will be receiving a total of $3.6 million in funding through the Clean Coast, Clean Waters (CCCW) initiative.
The CCCW organization has a stated goal to “support marine shoreline clean-up and derelict vessel removal in coastal communities within British Columbia,” according to their website.
In a news release from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the projects are promoted as in partnership with coastal Indigenous Nations, including more remote areas in Haida Gwaii and the Discovery Islands.
Who got funding:
The three funded organizations are Misty Isles Economic Development Society, Spirit of the West Adventures, and the Campbell River Association of Tour Operators.
Mistry Isles Economic Development Society (MIEDS)
- MIEDS is a non-profit that was established on Haida Gwaii in 2008, and is devoted to economic development on island communities. They are forecasted to removed 200 tonnes of marine debris along 400km of shoreline, in partnership with the Haida Nation.
- “These are promising initiatives that will need to continue well into the future if we are to truly have a clean coast,” said Gaagwiis, president of the Haida Nation.
- This endeavor is expected to create 146 jobs, and was given $2.3 million in funding.
Spirit of the West Adventures (SWA)
- SWA is an ecotourism company that had provided guided kayaking tours of British Columbia, Chile, and the Bahamas since 1997.
- The company will be partnering with the Homalco Nation to cleanup around 200 to 400km of shoreline around the Discovery Islands.
- “It is a win, win, win,” said Rick Snowdon, co-operator and owner of SWA, “the beaches get cleaned up, folks get back to work and everyone can feel good about their contribution to this project.”
- The project is anticipated to produce 33 jobs, and was provided $563,000.
Campbell River Association of Tour Operators (CRATO)
- This local organization provides regulatory safety measures for its members.
- They will be cleaning up approximately 350km of shoreline near Courtenay, Comox, and Campbell River, in partnership with the K’ómoks First Nation.
- “When tourists do return, this initiative will ensure our beautiful B.C. coastline is clean and free from plastic pollution for our local wildlife, residents and tourists,” said Leigh Nelson, vice-president of CRATO
- The project will aim to create 61 jobs, and was provided with $767,000 in funding.
Provincial funding:
The funding is part of the Clean Waters, Clean Coast (CWCC) initiative, which is also part of the province’s $10 billion COVID-19 response, which aims to help employees in the hard-hit tourism sector get back to work by leading marine cleanup efforts in remote waterways.
Last week, it was announced that provincially funded groups have helped remove more than 425 tonnes of trash from BC’s coastlines. The province says that the waste was collected from 306 kilometres of shore, out of BC’s 25,000 km coast.
With today’s announcements, the initiative’s cleanup projects are bumped up to nine, with a total government investment of $18 million.
===== RELATED:
Local governments may now institute bans on plastic bags and other single-use plastics (July 28, 2021)
Shoreline clean-up funds create jobs, protect coastal waters (September 4, 2020)