During 2023, CRS completed shoreline cleanups and derelict vessel removals on the southeast and west coasts of Vancouver Island under the Province of British Columbia's Clean Coast Clean Waters Initiative. Using CRS' fleet of marine and terrestrial industrial equipment, an immense amount of anthropogenic debris was removed from a vast area in a short period of time.
41 Derelict Vessels Removed
100,800 kgs of Debris Removed
278 Kms of Shoreline Cleaned
20 Community Members Employed
Nearshore ecosystems are essential to marine biodiversity, the sustainability of many of Canada’s marine-based industries, and cultural and economic keystone species including herring, shellfish, and wild salmon. CRS works in close collaboration with First Nations communities to address threats, identify regions of high priority for food security and biodiversity, and develop large-scale restoration and debris removal initiatives.
Through the support of the Clean Coast Clean Waters Initiative, CRS and First Nation partners were able to tackle ambitious cleanup objectives in both Barkley Sound and Ladysmith. Over four months of field work, CRS crews were able to remove 100,800 kgs of debris, cleaning close to 300 kms of shoreline in the process. First Nation partners on this project included the Stz'uminus Nation, Huu-ay-aht Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, Toquaht Nation, Hupacasath Nation, and the Ehattesaht Nation – all of which provided invaluable guidance in all stages of project development and rollout.
Continuous cleanups around Vancouver Island are needed to tackle the on-going international and local marine debris that continues to wash onto our ecologically sensitive shorelines year after year.