During the onset of the pandemic, tartanbond worked with the Small Ship Tour Operators Association of BC to pivot their business and propose a project to the province as part of the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund. What resulted was the Marine Debris Removal Initiative (MDRI) - two of the largest-ever marine debris clean-ups to happen on B.C.’s coast.
With the active support of the Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’xais, and Gitga’at First Nations, whose territory the expedition worked in, the expedition involved nine expedition vessels, 17 skiffs, one tug and barge, one helicopter and 111 people, collecting 127 tonnes of debris in 2020, and 210 tonnes in 2021.
