Tsunami debris continues to wash up on BC shores

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It was four years ago tomorrow, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan also triggering a tsunami in our province’s direction.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup says a lot of debris came with those strong waves and all that material moving isn’t slowing down.

“We have removed over 8 tonnes of debris, there’s a lot more still out there though, this is just the removal that we’ve done with our clean-up,” says Manager Kate Le Souef.

She says man-made materials big and small, from lumber to combs, have made its way here.

“We’ve found some shoes that we know are Japanese, we’ve also found some household items, cleaning products from people’s houses and there are also other items like toothbrushes.”

She says it’s harmful to sea-life and people.

“Fishing gear poses a threat of entanglement for marine life, animals might also mistake pieces of plastic for food and might ingest them and then there’s also water quality that’s impacted by marine debris.”

The organization used to have clean-up events a few times a year but because of the constant flow of stuff, it’s encouraging folks to take part in sessions which run all year round.

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