COWICHAN BAY, BC — Simon Fraser University researchers have uncovered concerning fibreglass contamination in a key estuary on Vancouver Island, raising concerns about how an as-yet overlooked contaminant could affect aquatic birds, marine life and coastal communities that rely on shellfish and seafood. A new SFU study found fibreglass particles buried in the sediment and biofilm layers of the Cowichan Estuary, a 400-hectare intertidal ecosystem used by the Cowichan Tribes First Nations for generations. The areas is an internationally designated important bird area and used for harvesting clams, geoducks, crabs, waterfowl, cod roe, urchins and salmon. …Key findings include: Fiberglass particles detected at 96% of the sediment testing stations in 2023… Sediment concentrations were highest near industrial activity and the log transport channel… Biofilm concentrations found at sites near the Western Forest Products mill pond, the Westcan Terminal, and a busy marina in Cowichan Bay Village.