MARINE LITTER: BACKGROUND TO
THE PROBLEM
Marine litter can have severe
impacts on marine ecosystems and affects a variety of marine
animals of the South African coast, notably turtles, seabirds,
seals and whales. Plastic articles pose the largest problem
as they are almost immune to degradation once at sea and can
drift for years over vast distances. Marine litter causes the
following negative impacts:
• ENTANGLEMENT
Marine creatures become entangled in objects such as discarded
fishing line, and this can impede movement thereby causing drowning
or starvation. It can also restrict growth. Entanglement is
mostly by fishery-related products (rope, netting and fishing
line) or disposable packaging (especially plastic packing straps
and plastic bags). Off South Africa, entanglements have been
reported for at least five species of mammals, two turtle species,
six fish species and 13 seabird species. Avian species most
affected by entanglements are Penguins, Gannets, Cormorants
and Gulls.
• INGESTION
Many species ingest marine litter. Ingested debris can cause
death or debilitation by obstructing the digestive tract, or
reducing meal size or the urge to eat. Off South Africa, at
least seven species of mammals, two turtle species, seven species
of fish and 36 seabird species have been recorded to ingest
marine litter. The incidence of debris ingestion among Southern
African seabirds is among the highest in the world.
• DAMAGE TO CRAFTS,
EQUIPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Marine debris can have direct economic consequences, in terms
of damage caused and time lost as a result of marine litter
fouling and disabling ships, boats and fishing gear. An indirect
consequence, more difficult to quantify is the reduced tourist
potential associated with heavily littered beaches. Keeping
South Africa's coastline clean is costly.
All three of these impacts contribute
significantly towards threats to the very existence of many
seabird species. Nine of the 17 South African breeding coastal
seabird species are listed in South Africa's Red Data Book as
regionally threatened, and five species have been accorded the
threatened status in the IUCN global assessment. BirdLife International's
annual conservation report (published June 2005) indicates that
the Bank Cormorant and Spectacled Petrel are now listed as GLOBALLY
endangered. The Bank Cormorant has gone from VULNERABLE to GLOBALLY
THREATENED in a matter of only four years. All Albatross species
are now considered threatened, while several are now on the
critically endangered list. It is imperative that a project
be developed that could meaningfully address the negative impacts
that marine littering has on coastal birds. It should ultimately
be extended to the entire South African coastline. For this
reason the CLEAN-MARINE PROJECT will be undertaken under the
auspices of BirdLife South Africa and its international partners.
THE
CLEAN-MARINE PROJECT: A CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS
COASTAL AND MARINE LITTERING
Members of Dyer Island Cruises
and BirdLife Overberg have initiated a campaign whereby it will
be attempted to develop a sustainable programme to combat several
negative impacts of marine littering. A pilot project is being
launched along the Overstrand coastline and will be used to
develop a model to be implemented along the entire South African
coastline. BirdLife Walker Bay, CapeNature and the Overstrand
Municipality have already become major project partners. The
rationale of this project is to develop an integrated programme
to limit marine littering on an ongoing basis through the implementation
of the following phases:
• THE DEVELOPMENT
OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
Key education material to be introduced will include brochures
and posters on the identification of coastal birds, pamphlets
describing the Clean-Marine campaign and an audio-visual presentation
to be used for children, fishermen, ski-boat clubs and so on.
• EDUCATING FISHERMEN
Initially, the management bodies of local ski-boat clubs, the
owners of fishing vessels and anglers will be approached in
order to introduce the concepts of marine conservation awareness
and the impacts of marine litter, with the aim of persuading
these organisations to incorporate conservation ethics into
the codes of conduct of their organisations. Maintaining awareness
of the marine litter issue would be an ongoing programme and
the eventual aim would be to reach all people who utilise the
sea, as well as local fishing communities. This ongoing programme
will be extended to schools and other applicable agencies.
• COLLECTING LITTER
AT SEA AND OFF FISHING VESSELS
A key feature of the marine litter control programme would be
to provide fishing vessels with specially designed plastic bins
or bags for the easy collection of marine litter, especially
plastics, at sea and refuse from the crafts. The Overstrand
municipality will be responsible for collection of the litter
and refuse where the boats come ashore. All crafts will further
be provided with the educational material.
• COASTAL CLEAN-UP
CAMPAIGNS
The programme to educate fishermen and anglers will be reinforced
further with the development of regular clean-up campaigns along
the Overstrand beaches, rocky shores and estuaries. A variety
of organisations, schools and conservation agencies will be
approached in this regard. The ideal would be to use the annual
International Coastal Clean-up week (normally held in September
every year) to focus attention on the project and its aims.
• CONSOLIDATING
THE MODEL FOR IMPLENTATION IN OTHER AREAS
As the campaign develops, a model will be designed that could
be applied to the other coastal municipalities in the Western
Cape and later to the rest of South Africa's coastline.
How YOU Can
Help
Bring all litter ashore and keep the sea
clean and safe.
Contact Us
This is an open invitation
to all individuals and organisations who would
like to participate in or contribute towards
the CLEAN-MARINE PROJECT to contact the project
team at birding
@ overberg.co.za or phone Wilfred on 082
906 0101 or Anton on 082 550 3347.
