MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T.) appeals to the public to observe Plastic Free July and refuse single-use plastics.
Plastic Free July is a global movement, initiated in Australia by the Plastic Free Foundation.
S.M.A.R.T. is familiar with the devastating effects of plastic.
Val Marsh, a committee member and volunteer on the team, says: "It takes months and months for plastic to work its way through a turtle's digestive tract."
Turtles eat jellyfish and therefore consume plastic which looks like translucent tentacles.
In both 2018 and 2019, S.M.A.R.T. won the prestigious Mossel Bay Dias Festival float-building competition with its impressive floats composed of used plastics.
The floats acted as a silent protest.
The S.M.A.R.T. float of 2018.
Take a bag with you
Residents of Mossel Bay and surrounds can follow Val's example by always taking a bag to collect plastic waste when they go walking.
S.M.A.R.T. is also highly involved in the local co-ordination of International Beach Clean Up Day, when local clean-ups are organised and records of collected rubbish are sent to Plastics SA for auditing.
Val says: "People feel good if they pick up a toothbrush or large piece of plastic, because it is easy to see and satisfying, but microplastics are the real problem."
These are the size of a sesame seed and require sand to be sifted. Nurdles, the size of a lentil, and used in packaging, are also time consuming to collect. "It's hard, back-breaking work," Val says.
Nurdles must not be placed in the usual blue recycling bags, but handed to S.M.A.R.T. (084 550 2100) or the heads of the relevant beach conservancies, to be given to Plastics SA.
"There are zillions of microplastics in the ocean. They look edible to fish. Many fish have microplastics in their gut."
Val Marsh and Monique Bullock of S.M.A.R.T. at Suiderkruis Beach, Great Brak. Photo: Jannie du Plessis
'Thrown overboard ships'
Some of the large plastics found have oriental writing on them, so it is clear they have been thrown overboard ships, Val points out, adding: "Other plastic comes from settlements. It is washed down rivers to the beach and sea."
She notes: "S.M.A.R.T. has bins for used fishing line at beaches. The bins are donated by Plastics SA. They have a screw-off base. We drill holes in the top.
"Regularly people go out, check the bins and remove handfuls of fishing gut. The message is getting through to fishermen to use the bins.
"People walking on beaches also place fishing line in the bins. Fishing line is handed back to people for recycling. You do not put it in normal recycling bags."
Plastic strangling sharks
There have been two incidents reported of sharks seen in the Mossel Bay area with blue plastic around them. One, whose gills had been damaged by the strangling plastic, was caught at Skurwebankies (Beacon Point) near the harbour on 17 June and the other was seen near Seal Island about three weeks previous to that.
The Mossel Bay Advertiser received a complaint that there is much rubbish in the sea in the harbour area. The person said that when he sweeps the sea for plastic near the harbour, he finds three times more than when he sweeps out at sea.
He suspected vessels in the harbour were throwing rubbish overboard and that the plastic came from factories at the harbour.
The Advertiser enquired to Transnet National Ports Authority.
TNPA noted: "When the Safety, Health and Environment and Harbour Master's departments are made aware of pollution in the port, investigations are conducted to determine the source and ultimately implement corrective measures.
Microplastics are destroying marine life.
'Polluter pays'
"The 'polluter pays' principle is implemented as far as practicably possible as it serves as a good measure to hold the responsible parties accountable. The aim is to respond swiftly and take immediate corrective action to minimise the impact.
TNPA noted that about two weeks ago "there was an occurrence which resulted in waste from the Vincent Jetty ending up in the water, however, the matter was addressed immediately with the operators along the jetty and clean-ups were initiated by the responsible parties. A communiqué was sent out via the harbour master's office to all vessel owners to clearly highlight rules which need to be adhered to.
"We trust that through the communication issued to the vessel owners and the improved oversight inspections we have embarked on, pollution as a result of port operations will be eradicated."
Pollution at the harbour can be reported to Sithembiso Soyaya (083 700 9907) and Busisiwe Mahlaba (073 454 6960) at TNPA.
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