August 20, 2019 Dyer Island Conservation Trust
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust joined John Kieser from Plastics ǀ SA on his trip to hand out materials required for the International Coastal Clean Up. International Coastal Clean Up Day is on the 21st September and various organisations around the world participate. This is in fact John’s 25th clean up that he has been involved in and he collects all the stats from this day. These stats form part of a bigger picture for South Africa and in turn the world as they contribute to the report produced by Ocean Conservancy. The stats are also important for identifying problems and for encouraging manufacturers to change designs if any item keeps cropping up. This in turn helps drive solutions, for example that there is a now a recycling initiative for plastic bottle caps.
Conservation partners in Agulhas, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay, and Port Elizabeth were visited and provided the opportunity for the DICT to promote the new poster for the fishing line bin. The new poster has a caricature penguin on crutches with a catchy poem designed to catch the attention of all ages. The fishing line bins along the South African coastline are mapped and this live map will soon be available on the DICT website – one will be able to see at a glance where the bins are located as well as the managing authority for the various areas. The DICT also shared more about Project S.T.O.R.M – Stop Our Rubbish Movement – this project of a catch net addresses waste that filters into the ocean via the storm water drains.
“Whilst sometimes the issue of marine waste and pollution in general seems overwhelming, our priority focus is on preventing injuries and death to our marine wildlife,” says Brenda du Toit, of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust.
All coastal cleaners are encouraged to support local clean ups. The Clean Swell App will send all stats to Ocean Conservancy and people who clean their beaches daily are urged to log what they collect. (Available for Andriod and IOS)
Special thanks to: Plastics ǀ SA, Petco, MacNeil Plastics, Volkswagen SA, SanParks Agulhas, Shell Museum Jeffrey’s Bay, Nature’s Valley Trust, Marine Dynamics Academy and DEEP students for making the bins, Martinus van Tee.
