Clayoquot CleanUp is a world leader in marine habitat restoration specializing in ocean plastics, marine debris, emergency spill response, aquaculture site removal, and marine decontamination. Coastal cleanup initiatives in BC take place primarily as a collaborative effort between non-profit organizations and government agencies, the most widely recognized national initiative being Great Canadian
Shoreline Cleanup. On Vancouver Island, Surfrider Foundation organizes cleanups that focus on monthly local beach cleanups and annual remote beach cleanups on South Vancouver Island, which Living Oceans has organized North Vancouver Island cleanups in the past. None of these efforts are to be discounted or minimized, they are provided as examples of the incredible work that can be done by volunteers and government agencies alike. Due to the location of Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island, its west coast is subject to a unique position as debris aggregator from both national and international sources. Marine debris ranges from Japanese longlines and commercial crab-traps floating from the US, to plastic debris from various international and local sources (eg. commercial fishing, aquaculture, commercial towing and logging efforts). As a result, cetaceans and other marine mammals combat entanglement as a way of life on virtually all fronts - cetaceans in lost fishing gear, birds choking on plastics mistaken for food - and the ecosystem integrity as a whole declines. Marine debris removal projects have not focused on these remote areas and it is pertinent to address these issues to ensure healthy ecosystems and communities for the future. That is where Clayoquot CleanUp feels that our organization can come into play. Clayoquot Sound hosts a biodiverse and ecologically rich ecosystem that is threatened by marine debris, and Clayoquot CleanUp aims to implement a marine debris removal program to properly maintain that rich biodiversity. Home to First Nations communities (Hesquiaht First Nation, Ahousaht First Nation, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation) the District of Tofino, a plethora of visitors, part time residents and colorful characters, the biodiversity of our landscape is mirrored closely by the diversity of its human inhabitants. Drawing from this diversity and the reliance we have upon the industries of fishing and aquaculture, eco-tourism, and other tourism based services10, it isn’t a difficult correlation to link the healthy and aesthetically pleasing landscapes and wildlife to sustainable economic growth and development. Clayoquot CleanUp was recently founded by Josh Temple and Lisa Szostek as a business that strives to effectively implement marine and shoreline cleanups in Clayoquot Sound to mitigate the negative impacts of marine debris on ecosystem health, economic activities, and local culture.
