LIHUE — It’s not often that members of the Surfrider Foundation — or anyone else for that matter — celebrates ghost and derelict fishing nets. On Saturday, however, that’s exactly what the organization’s Kauai Chapter will do during a “Net
LIHUE — It’s not often that members of the Surfrider Foundation — or anyone else for that matter — celebrates ghost and derelict fishing nets.
On Saturday, however, that’s exactly what the organization’s Kauai Chapter will do during a “Net Send Off Party” beginning at 9 a.m. at Restore Kauai in Kapaa.
“Surfrider will be shipping 10-plus tons of nets to Oahu H-Power to be burned for electricity,” Robert Zelkovsky, president of Surfrider Kauai, wrote in an email. “Volunteers have collected derelict nets the past year off of beaches/reefs and they have been stored at Restore Kauai.”
Derelict fishing nets are the No. 1 accidental killer of marine life, a reason why Surfrider hosts numerous events each year to rid local beaches of nets and other rubbish.
Saturday’s event will mark the marine debris’ final days on Kauai.
For the second straight year, Surfrider was approved for funding through Matson’s Ka Ipu Aina (Container for the Land) program.
In addition to a $1,000 cash contribution, Matson delivers a 20-foot shipping container to Restore Kauai where the nets are kept.
Participants will help load the nets into the container to be delivered to Schnitzer Steel on Oahu, where they will be cut into pieces.
From there, the debris will be sent to H-Power and burned for electricity.
Last year, a total of 17,600 pounds of nets were shipped off island.
H-Power says each ton of recycled waste can generate between 525 to 559 kilowatts, depending on the material. The average house in Hawaii uses about 600 kilowatts per month. That means the 10 tons of netting collected this year could provide enough electricity to power one home for between eight and 10 months.
Immediately following the pick up, Surfrider will host a volunteer appreciation luncheon beginning at noon at Kapaa Park.
Info: Barbara Wiedner at 635-2593.
