2018

Department of Environment

10/19/2018

National Coastal Cleanup Report

Acknowledgement The Department of Environment wishes to thank our sponsor, other contributors and all

those who would have participated in this year’s National Coastal Cleanup Activity.

Christophe Harbour Foundation who has been our primary sponsor for over 10 years must

be recognized for their continued support and generosity as we continue to work towards

trash free seas.

Thanks must also be expressed to the Ministry of Education for allowing us to use students

from the various Secondary Schools, the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and the

Immaculate Conception Catholic School as the primary volunteers for the event, and for

making their school buses available to transport the students to their respective beaches.

Our National Coastal Cleanup forms part of an international event so gratitude is also

extended to Ocean Conservancy for providing the materials such as the data cards and

certificates to record and report our data statistics through their TIDES reporting system.

The Department of Environment in its thrust to preserve and protect our marine

environment notes that this cannot be done in isolation so each year extends an invitation

to different departments, organizations, other volunteer groups and the local media to join

in the fight against marine pollution. Thanks to those sectors, local media and other

volunteer groups that were able to lend their efforts as we work to reduce marine debris

from our oceans. It is your love for the environment and commitment to protecting our

oceans helped to make this year’s events the success it was.

With Heartfelt Gratitude,

Mr. Derionne Edmeade National Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Department of Environment

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Review The Department of Environment Annual National Coastal Cleanup activity was held on

Friday, 19th October. The cleanup which is usually scheduled for the last Friday of

September of each year was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions. This year,

over 300 persons participated in the one day cleanup event. The volunteers comprised of

30 students and 2 teachers from each Secondary School and the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant

College in St. Kitts and representatives from various Government Departments.

There volunteers spanned a number of selected beaches where for 3 hours were engage in

the cleanup up activity. The cleanup was done from Hermitage Bay moving west along the

coastlines of Keys and Conaree Bay, North Frigate Bay and North Friars Bay. Over the

years the Department made many attempts to introduce an underwater cleaning component

but never managed to make it a reality. We are happy to note that this year after many

failed efforts, we were able to successfully organize an underwater cleaning component at

Cockleshell Beach.

The cleanup areas that were identified presented different challenges and the items

collected were varied base of location. From the areas cleaned, the participants were able

to remove over 10,421 units of marine debris weighing approximately 1524 pounds from

the coastlines of Hermitage Bay, Keys Bay, Conaree Bay, North Friars Bay and North

Frigate Bay. There were some beaches that were heavily polluted while others had minimal

deposit. A lot of this is due to the fact that some beaches are cleaned by various groups

throughout the year, while the others such as those in the Hermitage to Conaree area are

often polluted due to wave action and fishing activities. Even though the beaches that were

cleaned are located on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island - which means less recreational

activities - it remains a concern as to why this amount of garbage was collected this year

from the numerous beaches since we did not experience any major storm or hurricane.

The following table shows a breakdown of the items collected.

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Table showing 2018 National Cleanup Data

Item Total PercentBottle Caps (Plastic) 2409 23.12%Plastic Pieces 1986 19.06%Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 1454 13.95%Rope (1 yard/meter = 1 piece) 1023 9.82%Other Plastic Bottles (oil, bleach, etc.) 642 6.16%Foam Pieces 456 4.38%Other Plastic/Foam Packaging 370 3.55%Fishing Net & Pieces 362 3.47%Lids (Plastic) 263 2.52%Other Plastic Bags 184 1.77%Beverage Bottles (Glass) 128 1.23%Forks, Knives, Spoons 120 1.15%Cups, Plates (Plastic) 116 1.11%Bottle Caps (Metal) 100 0.96%Straws, Stirrers 94 0.90%Fishing Buoys, Pots & Traps 81 0.78%Appliances (refrigerators, washers, etc.) 66 0.63%Food Wrappers (candy, chips, etc.) 56 0.54%Take Out/Away Containers (Foam) 49 0.47%Construction Materials 48 0.46%Glass Pieces 47 0.45%Fishing Line (1 yard/meter = 1 piece) 42 0.40%Grocery Bags (Plastic) 40 0.38%6-Pack Holders 39 0.37%Take Out/Away Containers (Plastic) 34 0.33%Cups, Plates (Foam) 33 0.32%Beverage Cans 30 0.29%Paper Bags 29 0.28%Tires 25 0.24%Cigarette Lighters 22 0.21%Cups, Plates (Paper) 22 0.21%Fireworks 12 0.12%Strapping Bands 12 0.12%Condoms 6 0.06%Syringes 5 0.05%Tobacco Packaging/Wrap 3 0.03%Balloons 3 0.03%Tampons/Tampon Applicators 3 0.03%Cigarette Butts 3 0.03%Cigar Tips 3 0.03%Diapers 1 0.01%Toys 0 0.00%Fishing Gear (Clean Swell) 0 0.00%Personal Hygiene (Clean Swell) 0 0.00%Other Packaging (Clean Swell) 0 0.00%Other Trash (Clean Swell) 0 0.00%TOTALS 10421

2018 Top Ten Items — St Kitts

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Lessons Learned

Since around 2006, the Department of Environment has been partnering with Ocean

Conservancy – an international organization – to minimize the amount of waste that ends

up in our oceans and on our beaches. In comparing this year’s statistics to that of previous

years, the data shows that for the past 5 years, items made from plastic are becoming very

common and are now the most likely items to be found on our beaches. This year’s statistics

- included above - shows that 7 of the top 10 items collected are made from plastic. This

has become a cause for concern as plastic can be very detrimental to our marine life and

creates a negative picture for an island whose main industry is Tourism.

From the assessment made during the cleanup activity, the mouth of most of the ghauts

leading to the beaches are highly polluted. It has raised questions as to whether or not

persons are using the ghauts for dumping upstream which results to the large amount of

deposits on some our beaches. The Keys area is known as a turtle nest site and the large

quantity of plastic material found within this area is a threat to the turtles as plastic and

other debris such as nets and ropes can choke and entangle the turtles thus resulting to

death. The Department of Environment will use this opportunity to do more public

awareness activities to try and change people’s behavior and waste disposal habits as we

continue to promote ways we contribute to a heathier environment.

In 2018 there have been a surge towards addressing the use of single use plastic and many

countries around the world are considering imposing laws to help to reduce or eliminate

the use of single use plastics. This trend will continue as global plastic production

skyrockets and our dependency of plastic materials remain. We are already unable to cope

with the amount of plastic waste we generate here in St. Kitts and Nevis and unless we

rethink the way they are use and manage our dependency on plastic will only increase. In

order for us to tackle one of the biggest environmental scourges of our time, this will

require governments to regulate, businesses to innovate and individuals to act.

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Sponsor

Contributors

• White Gate Development

• KOSCAB St. Kitts Ltd.

• Truck Stop Bar (Carol Paul) Catering

• POUI Ltd. (Trinidad)

• The Ministry of Education

• Environmental Health Department

• Department of Physical Planning

• Ministry of Agriculture

• Solid Waste Management Cooperation

• SKNIS

• Dolphin Discovery St. Kitts

• Ministry of Sustainable Development

• Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Participating High Schools

Immaculate Conception Secondary, Basseterre High School, Washington

Archibald High School, Cayon High School, Saddlers Secondary School, Charles

E. Mills Secondary School, Verchilds High School, Clarence Fitzroy Bryant

College.

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Photo Gallery

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For More Information

Department of Environment Ursula Amory Building New Street, Basseterre

Tel: (869) 466-8535 Email: doeskn@gmail.com

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