A small group of volunteers have been collecting marine debris since November from the beaches between Tarcoola Beach and Point Moore in Geraldton, Western Australia. This section of beach is registered with Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society for the Western Australian Marine Debris Project and data submitted monthly on the debris collected.

Initial data analysis has shown this project has highlighted a significant problem in this region with a particularly high level of commercial fishing industry related debris being collected. The data will be included in a the national marine debris report in 2010 and beyond.

The present volunteer coordinators will soon be moving further north and set up a similar project at Drummond Cove, but a replacement coordinator for the Tarcoola to Point Moore project is needed. The role involves collecting debris from other volunteers, photographing debris collected, sorting and counting and submitting monthly data to Tangaroa Blue. A commitment of approximately two to three hours per week is required.

If you, or someone you know may be interested in the coordinator position please contact David on 0427 371 804 or Heidi on 0410 166 684.

Tangaroa Blue would like to thank David and the volunteers in Geraldton for their amazing efforts. Between November 2009 and March 2010 the group removed over 7300 pieces of marine debris from Tarcoola Beach and Point Moore! 

On Saturday January 30th, a dedicated group of sixteen people gathered together to clean up the area around the Jurien Bay Marina. This followed a meeting last November in which a Coast Care Group was formed to help look after the beach and adjoining areas each side of town.

By the time the job was completed, about 11.00am, something like three cubic metres of rubbish had been collected, of which an estimated 75% had come from fishing boats.  Plastic wrapping from bait boxes, hundreds of metres of ropes made up the main lot of rubbish, along with drink cans and bottles, plastic containers, both food and beverage types.  Among the more disgusting finds were disposable nappies, apparently thrown overboard and washed ashore.

The report can be downloaded in the Western Australian section of the Resources and Downloads area.

Over October and November, coastal awareness days were held in the communities of Green Head, Jurien Bay and Cervantes. The days, which were coordinated by the local coastcare groups, the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC) and the West Midlands Group were held to raise awareness of marine debris and its effects on the local coastal and marine environment.

Simply put, marine debris can be described as garbage, trash, and litter that is in the water. More than half the debris in Australia’s seas comes from land and up to 80% from around our cities. It takes a long time for debris to breakdown- cigarette butts take around 10 years, plastic bags around 100 to 400 years and plastic bottles around 450 years.

Over 50 volunteers gave up their Saturday or Sunday morning to assist with the clean-ups. Participants were briefed on collecting and recording marine debris, target areas and basic coastal process before setting off along the beach equipped with disposal bags, clipboards and gloves.