LIHU’E — More volunteers are needed for the 11th annual “Get the Draft and Bag It” islandwide beach cleanup scheduled for Sept. 16. Groups and residents have volunteered for duty from Ke’e Beach to areas west of Kilauea and some
LIHU’E — More volunteers are needed for the 11th annual “Get the Draft and Bag
It” islandwide beach cleanup scheduled for Sept. 16.
Groups and residents
have volunteered for duty from Ke’e Beach to areas west of Kilauea and some
beaches in Kekaha in West Kaua’i, said Betty Unanian, who has coordinated the
cleanup of Kaua’i beaches for the past three years.
“But we have the rest
of the island up for grabs, from Kealia to Polihale, said Unanian.
This
year’s islandwide project will be undertaken by Adam Asquith of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service on Kaua’i. The cleanup is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 12
noon.
The aim is not only to clear debris from beaches, but to reduce the
risk of marine life and birds dying after they have become entangled in
discarded fish nets.
“They either eat it or get entangled and die a bad
death—everything from fish to whales,” Unanian said.
The event is
sponsored internationally by the Center for Marine Conservation Virginia and is
being coordinated locally by University of Hawai’i.
The mainland
organization will provide bags to pick up the debris and data cards to record
the amount of debris that has been collected. The information will then be sent
back to Center for Marine Conservation for data-gathering purposes.
Last
year, 2,700 people in Hawai’i participated in the statewide cleanup, resulting
in the collection of 216,598 pounds of debris, Unanian said.
For the
Kaua’i project this year, the Hanalei Community Association has volunteered for
beaches from the Hanalei River to Ke’e Beach, Unanian said.
Asquith has
agreed to clean up areas east of Kilauea, and a Girl Scout group also has
volunteered in Kekaha.
Unanian said.Sharon Mitchell of Kapa’a has assisted
Unanian in islandwide cleanup projects in the past.
The state coordinated
the projects until three to four years ago, but bowed out due to funding
constraints. Volunteer groups on Kaua’i then took up the
projects.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext.
252) and dwilken@pulitzer.net
