B.C. coastlines should be a lot cleaner by the end of 2024.
The B.C. Government plans invest $8-million into 17 more projects over the next four months cleaning up marine debris & plastic pollution along 1900 kilometres of B.C. shorelines.
This year's projects is also expected remove at least 31 derelict vessels and clean at least six derelict aquaculture sites, creating 639 new jobs.
Seven of the 17 projects are being led by First Nations.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Jen Thomas says the funding will allow his community to remove a pile of asphalt and concrete from the reserve shoreline.
The funding is part of a $25-million provincial investment announced in May 2023, which brings the Clen Coast, Clean Waters funding to $49.83 million.
Over the last 13 years, the Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative has removed 215 derelict vessels and cleaned up more than 2100 tonnes of marine debris from more than 6400 kilometres of shoreline, while generating or maintaining close to 2400 jobs.