Marine Debris Fund

The pollution of Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound from marine debris is a challenge much more common than most people realize.

Every summer, citizens around Howe Sound care for their beaches, conducting shoreline clean-ups and picking up and disposing of garbage that washes ashore. But it is the larger debris that often costs money with no opportunity for recovery that is much more challenging. Fortunately, many good Samaritans are working behind the scenes to coordinate clean-up efforts of those larger pieces – essential work that requires funding.

Thanks to the West Vancouver Community Foundation’s Give Where You Live Campaign, we have raised $12,216 for the fund. This funding helps us to respond quickly when storm events occur and helps to remove the barriers of costs for clean-up, coordination, and disposal. We collaborate with community groups and partners, such as the Marine Stewardship Initiative who maintain the Marine Debris Tracking Tool, Ocean Legacy, and others to efficiently coordinate clean-up and disposal. The goal is to remove debris from the ocean before it breaks apart and causes more pollution and harm to marine life and seabirds.

Winter storms, king tides combined with rising sea levels, and erosion along creeks during heavy rain events are becoming more frequent. With constantly changing tides and currents, many of Howe Sound’s beaches are catch-basins for all types of debris that result from these weather events.

Woody debris from log sorting operations, along with trees and stumps from eroding creeks and shorelines can cause damage and choke up the beaches. Neglected vessels and salvaged materials take on water, break apart in the storms, and end up sinking or breaking loose, causing pollution and navigation hazards.

Old and sometimes new docks become damaged in storms. Some docks are also now being damaged by sea lions. Many docks contain styrofoam, one of the most common pollutants in Howe Sound as it breaks apart and becomes embedded in the tide lines on beaches. See some of the many examples in the photos below.

To learn more about resources for tackling this issue, and what to do when you see wrecked boats and marine debris, click here.

A committee of the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society administers the fund distribution. If you have a big clean-up project be sure to contact us. For more information, contact howesoundbri@gmail.com.