While there can always be shortages of everything, there’s always lots of garbage, tonnes of it, especially down by the Fraser River.
However, the B.C. Wildlife Federation is trying to contain the trash, which hurts the environment, via its four-year program, which began in 2021, and which it’s now trying to extend.
So far, the Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-up crew has removed 45 tonnes of garbage over three seasons, from around Delta and Richmond, consistently blowing through its own projections.
“Every time we add up how much trash and debris we have removed from the edge of the river and estuary islands, we double our goals for the next season,” said project lead Haiden McDonald, BCWF Fish Habitat restoration coordinator, in a wildlife federation release.
That’s both good news and bad news, says the federation.
The good news is that field crews, volunteers, and partners have been successful at removing trash that harms fish and bird habitat and chokes natural vegetation.
The bad news is that the volume of debris – including plastic trash, crabbing and fishing gear, boat parts, bottles, Styrofoam, shoes and tires – is consistently greater than expected.
“There’s an endless supply of debris coming down the river,” said McDonald. “We are making a huge immediate impact on the environment, but we’re playing what feels like a huge game of catch-up from all the debris coming downstream.”
About 80 per cent of the estuary in the lower Fraser River has been lost to industry and development. The BCWF wants to conserve and protect what remains, said the release.
Tidal marshes are a dropping point for floating debris. When tides rise, the debris moves in, when tides fall, the debris gets dropped in the riparian area, where it damages fish-rearing habitat.
The collaboration between the Wildlife Federation, the Tsawwassen First Nation and the South Coast Conservation Land Management Program initially was projected to pull 15 tonnes of garbage from the shorelines, marshes, and tiny islands in the lower Fraser River before the end of 2025.
However, the project has already exceeded its goal by 30 tonnes, and cleaned up 350 hectares of estuary.
“Our crews have laid a solid foundation to continue and expand the project,” said McDonald.
“We have applied for additional funding and will continue the cleanup in the spring of 2025 and 2026. “We can now expand the scope of the project to remove contaminated wood in the marsh. We will also be targeting areas of high wood density that are smothering the marsh.”
