B.C. funds $25 million more for marine restoration, doubling program

British Columbia’s Environment Ministry has announced another $25 million in funding for coastal cleanup and restoration of the marine environment.

This brings its total investment for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund to about $50 million.

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Environment Minister George Heyman told a news conference Tuesday that debris from more than 4,600 kilometres of shoreline has been removed so far, while creating more than 1,700 jobs.

He says the new funding will allow the initiatives to continue to protect the coast and the communities that live there.

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The Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, a group from nine First Nations who aim to restore ecosystems, will receive another $4 million, bringing its total funding to $7.5 million since 2020.

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The remaining $21 million will be awarded to funding applicants, which may include coastal First Nations, non-profits or other groups with expertise in shoreline cleanup.

The funding will be distributed in two rounds, first this spring and another in early 2024.

“I am honoured to stand with First Nations and partner organizations who are taking a leadership role in cleaning up marine debris and plastic pollution,” Heyman said in a news release. “The Clean Coast, Clean Waters projects have and continue to help protect and restore the health of our marine ecosystems.”

The fund is part of the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan that has a goal of reducing plastic waste and pollution.