The area of southern Sechelt Inlet that is called Porpoise Bay was cleared of debris over a fifteen day period by divers from Seachange Marine Conservation Society in November of 2018.  This was the first step in the four year recovery process, designed to remove debris from the seabed specifically in areas where eelgrass is impacted by the presence of the debris.  With the removal of the debris, the areas are open to restoring and encouraging natural growth of eelgrass.

This project, which commenced in the Spring of 2018, is funded by the Coastal Restoration Fund, under the Federal Government’s Ocean Protection Plan. Input from community, local governments, and interest groups determined which areas within the inlet were chosen as potential restoration sites. 

The Sechelt Inlet Debris removal totals for 2018 are as follows:

A total of 5.23 metric tonnes of debris were removed.  This was comprised of 1.625 tonnes of commercial materials, including miscellaneous debris and nets, 1.735 metric tonnes of durable goods, including miscellaneous debris and nets, and 1.870 metric tonnes of metals , including miscellaneous scrap metal including cables.

Total:5.23 Metric Tonnes; the $746 tipping fees were charged to the SCRD Shoreline Clean Up Fund,  donated to the project by the SCRD.

Breakdown:

Material 11 – Commercial: 1.625 MT – includes misc debris and nets

Material 23 – Durable Goods: 1.735 MT – includes misc debris and nets

Material 21 – Metal: 1.870 MT – misc scrap metal including cable

Material 04 & 06 – Tire

When the areas of marine debris were mapped during the assessment of the inlet, an incredible amount of  debris was noted, and priority was placed on clearing areas of depth where eelgrass could grow, determined by proximity to healthy existing beds.