Wild Beach Cleanups

The accumulation of plastic in our ocean and on beaches is a problem worldwide. In Tasmania, it is most shocking when these nasty remnants of human's presence are found on remote, almost inaccessible beaches. The west coast of Tasmania is one of the most remote coastlines in the world, according to Matt Dell, from Tasmania Environmental Consultants. Most of the rubbish winding up on these beaches is originally from land, having been swept to sea and eventually coming ashore again after spending some time in the ocean. The debris comes from as far as South Africa sometimes, and is mainly used fishing gear or rubbish from industrial freighters. While the rubbish used to consist of mainly ropes and gear, now plastic dominates. This is a small part of a larger problem - plastics are accumulating in the ocean in astounding quantities, where they not only pollute the oceans but also contribute to the death of so much marine life that either gets entangled or mistakes plastic for food. 

There is a glimmer of hope though, as Mr. Dell is leading a cleanup crew to brave the strong weather and spend a week or so cleaning up these secluded beaches. It is the fifteenth year of this cleanup effort, and every time volunteers are equally shocked. It takes a long time to get to these beaches, which they must approach by boat, braving storms and strong winds, only to find them covered in plastic and trash. Hopefully, these efforts continue to add at least a small sparkle to our increasingly damaged natural world.

-Isabella