 |
 |
| Kahuku Beach Clean-up |
| Kahuku Beach Clean-up An International Year of the Reef event Saturday 2nd August, 2008 |
 Volunteers after the clean-up. photo: Nalani Mattox-Primacio |
| 160 volunteers at the Kahuku beach clean-up worked very hard removing marine debris (rope, derelict fishing nets, and all types of plastic) on Saturday, 2nd August, 2008. 3,000 pounds of fishing nets/rope, 1,100 pounds of marine debris and 50 pounds of recyclables were cleared off the beach. The fishing nets/rope were dropped off at Schnitzer Steel where they are going to be cut in small pieces and then burned for electricity at H-Power. The marine debris was unloaded at H-Power and later burned for electricity. 86% of all items collected was made of plastic. The 10 most found items were: 1. Pieces of plastic: 9,010 2. Rope: 1,152 3. Caps/lids: 809 4. Styrofoam pieces: 735 5. Rubber tubing: 348 6. Oyster spacers: 299 7. Beverage bottles (plastic): 253 8. Other plastic bottles: 203 9. Fishing nets: 197 10. Floats: 153 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| Participants before the clean-up. |
Senator Clayton Hee and Hawai`i State Representative Michael Magaoy spoke to the volunteers before the clean-up. photo: Nalani Mattox-Primacio |
Volunteers spread out over Kahuku Beach. | ||
 Volunteers pushing and pulling a big net to the Matson container. photo: Nalani Mattox-Primacio |
 |
 Volunteers moving one of several huge fishing nets. |
||
| Two participants with the first fishing net pulled out from under the rocks. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
||
| The support crew at the tent. |
These curious horses came over to see what was going on at the tent. photo: Caryn Kunz |
A volunteer pulling out a fishing net. photo: Caryn Kunz | ||
 |
 |
 |
||
| Volunteers pulling a lost fishing net from the rocky reef. |
Group of volunteers with the derelict fishing net they had pulled from the reef. |
A typical collection of marine debris. 86% of the marine debris collected was plastic. |
||
 |
 |
 |
||
| Many of the fishing nets were caught under heavy rocks. One volunteer used his car jack to unleash the nets. |
Local volunteers including Senator Hee and Hawaii State Rep. Michael Magoay worked hard at removing heavy fishing nets from the reef. |
4,150 pounds of marine debris including 3,000 pounds of fishing net/rope. photo: Caryn Kunz | ||
 Participants loading the Matson container with marine debris. |
 |
 It took a dozen volunteers to load this fishing net into the container. |
||
| Dean weighing a bag of marine debris. photo: Nalani Mattox-Primacio |
||||
 |
 |
 |
||
| International Year of the Reef t-shirt winners. |
Unloading the fishing nets at Schnitzer Steel where they will be cut into smaller pieces and burned at H-Power for electricity. |
3,000 pounds of fishing nets and rope. |
||
 |
||||
| The marine debris was unloaded at H-Power and later burned for electricity. | ||||
|
Thank you to Senator Clayton Hee, his staff and Junior Primacio for helping get access to the beach clean-up site. Thank you to Senator Hee and Hawaii State Representative Michael Magoay who gave short inspirational talks to the volunteers before the clean-up. Thank you to Caryn Kunz who organized several groups (2/3 of the participants) from her church, Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the 10-12 members who helped with set-up, registration table, and pack-up. Thank you to all the groups who participated: Church of Latter Day Saints, B.E.A.C.H. members and all the other individuals and families who helped clean Kahuku Beach. Thanks also to our prize sponsors: Kale's Natural Foods (also donated bottled water), Ben & Jerry's, International Year of the Reef, and Hawaii Conservation Alliance. Thanks also to Matson who donated the container and Quiksilver who donated the insurance for the clean-up. |
All photos taken by Dean Otsuki and Suzanne Frazer unless otherwise credited.
Sponsors
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
 |
||||||||
Mahalo to: Senator Clayton Hee, Jr. Primacio, and James Campbell Company LLC
back to Calendar page