With predictions that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean, by weight, than fish, a group of volunteers rolled up their collective sleeves to clean in and around Monwabisi beach on Saturday 17 September in a quest prolong the marine life.
The campaign formed part of Two Oceans Aquarium’s Trash Bash initiative. Since 2018, using volunteers the Trash Bash has visited many of Cape Town’s beaches to ensure cleanliness along the province’s coastline.
The campaign uses the Dirty Dozen methodology which focuses on 12 items that are often found on beaches. These items, such as plastic bags, bottles, straws and sweet wrappers, are all recorded and the data forms part of a scientific study on plastics in the ocean.
On Saturday the volunteers spent their time cleaning up and recording the items found along Monwabisi.
Phumza Jongihlathi, marketing co-ordinator for the Aquarium, said participants are divided into working teams and one person is assigned the role of scribe (using the downloaded app on their phone) and records all of the items that are collected, while the other members of the team are responsible for picking up and identifying the rubbish.
“The electronic data, along with the total weight of the rubbish collected, will be sent on for inclusion in the annual International Coastal Clean up Day report. It is important to keep the awareness so that our people know when they come to the beach they shouldn’t litter,” she said.
Jongihlathi said the world ocean is in dire peril, facing a human-made crisis and desperately needs us to turn the tide on plastic and other pollution within the marine environment.
One of the volunteers Siyabulela Solwandle from Mandela Park, told City Vision he decided to spend his time in a different way and learn from other people.
“A dirty area comes with a lot of diseases, and the more we pollute our beaches we put our lives in danger. People come to the beaches with their families and if it is so dirty it can also affect them,” he said.
“So, to keep our beaches clean and any environment for that matter is very important for our own existence. I am happy that I was part of this in trying to minimise the danger that comes with dirt by cleaning up than spend my time not doing anything positive,” said Solwandle.
Studies have shown that millions of seabirds have ingested plastic and a staggering number of sea animals die each year from either ingesting plastic, or becoming entangled in plastic debris.
Beach clean ups are vital as they prevent plastic and other trash from being deposited into the ocean.
Communications Manager at the Aquarium Renée Leeuwner said: “We can all do something to look after the environment, and cleaning a beach is an easy and fun way of making a contribution to, and a connection with, nature. These clean ups also contribute to scientific studies through the data collected.”