This year’s marine debris clean up at Charlottes Cove in the Huon Valley brought together over 50 volunteers from the community who braved the cold and windy conditions to help remove over 5m3 of trash from our southern beaches.

Members of community groups and organisations such as Friends of Randall’s Bay Coastcare Group, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Kingborough Coastcare, Birdlife Tasmania, the Huon Valley Roamers Landcare Group, Parks and Wildlife Service, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and Bruny Island Boat Club clambered over rocks and logs to fill dozens of bags with an assortment of rubbish. After collection, every piece of twine, bottle cap or cigarette butt was meticulously sorted to give us a better idea of what’s out there – and where it’s coming from.

The majority of what washes up on shore is from land-based sources. Volunteers collected bags, balloons, balls, bleach bottles, bread tags, candles, cans, toys, tinsel, cigarette butts, lighters, corks, food wrappers, glass bottles, metal, nappies, plastic bottles, bottle tops, shoes, wire, treated pine and microplastics. Sea-based debris included buckets, buoys and fishing floats, a craypot, fishing line and lures, fish size measures, pieces of foam, pipes, plastic mesh, and rope.

Sadly, much of the marine debris collected was pervasive, durable and buoyant which allows it to be carried far from its source. If left on the shore this debris can be washed out to sea and end up in in the most remote ocean areas, that is why it’s is important to act to clean-up, improve and protect the waterways.

This is the third year that we have been running clean up events. Coordinated by NRM South through the D’Entrecasteaux and Huon Collaboration, they bring together an enthusiastic group who value and love the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Huon Estuary.