Beach cleanups planned across state
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer
Volunteers and government agencies are leading a series of large-scale beach and reef cleanups in the coming weeks that are expected to haul tons of trash, ropes, nets and other marine debris off the shoreline.
Left in place, the stuff can snag turtles, seals and fish, damage coral and destroy habitat for marine species.
Tesoro Hawai'i will be conducting a major cleanup of nets snagged along the reefs and on the beaches of East Kaua'i and the area near Polihale. The cleanup is part of the company's compensation to the community for an oil spill in August 1998.
Beachgoers, divers, boaters and others who frequent the shoreline are being asked to report derelict nets on Kaua'i by using a hot line the company has set up at (808) 956-2861. The company then will conduct shoreline helicopter searches to pinpoint nets.
In October, paid teams will work from the shoreline to remove debris and from boats to remove nets caught on reefs at depths of up to about 30 feet. Tesoro spokesman Nathan Hokama said the teams are scheduled to work for five days and can extend that for an additional two days in case of bad weather.
Tesoro's 1998 spill from its Barbers Point offshore mooring released nearly 5,000 gallons of oil, much of which came ashore on Kaua'i. Dozens of seabirds were sullied, as were various species of coastal marine life.
The biggest project in numbers of volunteers is the statewide Get The Drift and Bag It! program, 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday for most of the state and Sept. 22 in Maui County. The University of Hawai'i Sea Grant Program and the Hawai'i Coastal Zone Management Program oversee the effort, which is part of the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy, an organization formerly known as the Center for Marine Conservation.
Last year, more than 2,300 volunteers scoured beaches across the state, collecting nearly 17 tons of debris along 138 miles of coastline. Anyone interested in participating may call Sea Grant on O'ahu at 956-2872; on Hawai'i call 961-8695; on Kaua'i call 635-8290.
To volunteer for the Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i cleanup Sept. 22, call 877-2524.
The most complex of the cleanups is a $3 million National Marine Fisheries Service project to collect nets and other debris from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. An estimated 100 tons of derelict fishing nets are caught on the multitude of beaches, reefs and shoals that make up the 1,200-mile-long string.
An additional 11 tons are already in storage at Midway, awaiting removal. Those nets were hauled off the beaches and coral to prevent entanglement of seals and turtles. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which are all either state or federal wildlife reserves, are the main Hawai'i nesting sites for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the threatened green sea turtle.
Five vessels are to be used for the cleanup. Three commercial boats chartered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration will head out this month on a 90-day mission. Next month, a Coast Guard cutter and the NOAA research vessel Townsend Cromwell will join them.
Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808)245-3074.
