#Nurdle spill spreads as clean-up continues
Clean Surf Project is steadily tackling both Cuttings and lending a hand in the nurdle clean-up where able.
SOME two weeks after the devastating nurdle spill in Durban’s harbour, the plastic beads have made their way further along the coast and even into the stomachs of ocean creatures.
Clean Surf Project is steadily tackling both Cuttings and lending a hand in the nurdle clean-up where able.
Local NGO, Clean Surf Project tackled Cuttings Beach again on Saturday, 28 October and cleared another 97 bags of litter in a 30 metre stretch.
“We are glad to see local communities and fishing clubs getting involved – slowly but surely we’ll get there,” said Denzil van der Westhuizen. “The sad part regarding Cuttings is that there were plans drawn up to restore the littered area back in 2011. None of it has materialised, so where has all of this money gone?”
Some of the plans drawn up for Cuttings back in 2011:
CSP will again be attending Cuttings Beach this Saturday, 4 October from 8am and hopes to see more of the community on the plastic-riddled beach, making a difference with every filled bag.
CSP was also one of the many environmentally-conscious groups that attended to the nurdle spill clean-up at uShaka Beach on Sunday, 29 October.
Read about the Durban nurdle spill:
Caroline Reid, one of the masterminds of Sunday’s clean-up, is fully aware of the detrimental effect the nurdles will have on the environment.
“We’ve been asking spearos and fishermen to check the stomach contents of the fish they catch for nurdles. Some have reported seeing them,” she said. “This has been a steady seep into our food chain for quite a while due to other spills in the past, but it’s highlighted by this spill and the lack of proper response to it by the relevant parties. I think they thought because they are so small, it will just go away.”
Volunteers are daily continuing to rid the coastline of the nurdles.
If visiting Durban and surrounding beaches, the public are reminded to take nets, sieves, colanders, shadecloth, spades and buckets and at low tide try to clear as much of the industrial material as possible.
Labelled bins are placed at collection points into which beachgoers can deposit any nurdles collected. Drop-off points include uShaka ticketing office, Surf Riders, Afros, Wedge Beach lifeguards and California Dreaming. uShaka Sea World will collect the nurdles for disposal too.
If the public has information about where nurdles have been sighted, upload the details at www.coastkzn.co.za. Include the name of the beach/estuary, date, time, GPS reference and related photos. This will assist with tracking their movement and coverage.
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