Province hears of concerns and solutions when it comes to Marine Debris in BC

The British Columbia government has released its report into the problems posed by Marine Debris along the province's coastlines,  the details of the project coming following extensive consultation with British Columbians last year.

From abandoned boats to a range of discarded plastic products, the risks for coastal communities continue to grow in our seemingly disposable society and towards seeking some answers towards the issue, NDP MLA Sheila Malcolmson was tasked by the Premier to conduct the overview.

Ms. Malcolmson who serves as the Special Advisor for Marine Debris Protection and Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, took to her work in the summer and fall of 2019 meeting with a number of interested parties to hear more on the challenges and of their solutions to the issue.

Among some of the largest issues that were identified included Abandoned vessels, Mooring buoys, Ghost Fishing Gear, Aquaculture debris and Polystyrene foam products.

Some participants also flagged single use plastics, including plastic bottles, straws, and plastic bags as a major source of marine plastics invasion of the coastal ecosystem.

The Report examined some of the background to those problems and identified a lack of recycling and disposal options as one of the dominating themes.

Towards solutions, a wide range of options were offered up for further consideration.

Other potential concepts to explore include a pilot vessel turn-in program, improvements towards vessel licensing, improvements for private mooring and measures designed to prevent Marine Debris at the source.

MLA Malcolmson will now use the findings from the report as part of an integrated recommendation document to be presented to George Heyman, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

You can review the entire Marine Debris document here.

For more notes on the work of the BC Legislature see our archive page here.