ACAPSAI NTJOHN
PROVI NCI ALBEACHSWEEP REPORT, 2003
Acknowledgements This project would was made possible through the considerable contributions of a numerous volunteers, businesses and organizations from throughout New Brunswick.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………….2 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 4 •
Figure 1: Map of New Brunswick, Canada.
Recruiting Volunteers………………………………………………………6 Results. ………………………………………………………………………7 • • • •
Table 1:Comparisons of Total Shoreline Cleaned, Weight of Debris, and Number of Volunteers, for 2001, 2002, and 2003 Beach Sweeps. Table 2: Interesting debris items found in Beach Sweep 2003. Figure 2: Beach Sweep Debris Totals for New Brunswick 2003. Figure 3: Beach debris found in a 2003 Beach Sweep; debris mainly associated with dumping activities.
Discussion……………………………………………………………………10 •
Figure 4: Joanah Lee from ACAP Saint John distributing sunscreen to participants at a Beach Sweep Volunteer Appreciation Barbeque.
Recommendations……………………………………………………………14
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Introduction New Brunswick beaches are some of Atlantic Canada’s most important natural resources providing recreational opportunities for residents and tourists alike, while supporting vast habitats for flora and fauna, including migratory birds. Maintaining the environmental integrity of our beaches is critical to ensuring future generations have the opportunity to experience and appreciate our beautiful coastline.
Annual beach cleanups, or ‘sweeps’, play an important role in maintaining the cleanliness of our coastlines. Beach Sweeps are conducted to rid the coastline of marine debris, which can be defined as being ‘any manufactured item that ends up in our oceans, inland lakes and waterways’ (International Ocean Conservancy, 2003). Beach Sweeps not only provide a hands-on opportunity for concerned citizens to contribute to a cleaner environment, but also help to identify the specific origins of the debris. Knowing the origin of the debris allows for a more proactive strategy to stop pollution at its source, before it ever enters the environment. Marine debris is categorized as having originated from one of five potential sources, based on the following associated activities; Shoreline (which includes recreational activities), Ocean and Waterway (including commercial fishing and shipping), Smoking Related, Dumping (typically illegal dumping activities), and Medical and Personal Hygiene (often attributed to a lack of municipal wastewater treatment). However, regardless of its source, the tonnes of marine debris entering our waterways and oceans results in the fouling of our beaches, the maiming and killing of marine animals, and a reduction in water quality.
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This year (2003) saw the Provincial Beach Sweep Program successfully complete its fourth consecutive year of operation. having evolved such that cleanups were conducted province-wide by volunteers of all ages. ACAP Saint John once again worked in conjunction with the PARTENARIAT pour la gestion integree baie de Caraquet, to ensure the Provincial Beach Sweep Program was a success. ACAP organized Beach Sweeps in the southern half of New Brunswick while PARTENARIAT pour la gestion integree baie de Caraquet organized Beach Sweeps administered cleanups in the northern portion of the province (Figure 1). Participation from schools, coastal communities, conservation groups, citizens, and Scouts and Girl Guides was fundamental for the success of this program. The New Brunswick Department of the Environment and Local Government provided funding for the project through the Environmental Trust Fund, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans provided expert advise and accommodations for steering committee meetings. Other funding and in-kind contributions were provided by numerous businesses, organizations and individuals (Table 1).
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Figure 1: Map of New Brunswick, Canada.
Recruiting Volunteers The Beach Sweep program began in the southern portion of the province in June of 2003. Christa McMillan from the New Brunswick Environmental Network provided ACAP with an extensive environmental list for the province. A large contact list of schools, girl
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guides, boy scouts, town municipalities, aquaculture and environmental organizations was compiled. The organizations were first contacted by telephone introducing the Beach Sweep program and, if interest was shown in the program, were sent an information booklet. Beach Sweep Flyers were sent out to Schools, Girl Guide and Scout Leaders offering a Beach Sweep educational presentation. For ACAP Saint John’s annual Beach Sweep held in September, K100, 97.3 the Wave, and the Telegraph Journal were all used to promote the event.
The program began in the northern portion of the province in July of 2003. In order to attract volunteers ads were sent to radio stations, churches and the French and English local newspapers. The majority of the ads were in the L’ Acadie Nouvelle from mid September to mid October with the intention of inviting the local residents to take part in Beach Sweep events. Local radio stations, such as CKLE and CKRO, provided airtime and promoted awareness for Beach Sweep activities. Beach Sweep letters were sent out to inform target groups such as schools, naturalists clubs, Scouts, municipalities, churches and environmental organizations of the importance of such a program in their area. Following the dispersal of these letters, 65 groups asked for more information and more than 45 groups participated in the program.
Results There were approximately 2344 participants in New Brunswick who volunteered for Beach Sweeps in 2003 (Table 1). The total distance of shoreline cleaned was 188.5 km, which was comparable to 2002. The total weight of debris collected was 13.0 tonnes,
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which was less than that collected in 2002 (Table 1). Participation not only increased by the number of volunteers but also by the number of organizations, with a total of 66 groups involved. A large amount (42%) of the coastal debris collected this year originated on land from shoreline and recreational activities. The ‘items of local concern’ category produced the second largest amount with 25% of the total debris (Figure 2). A large portion of the debris collected this year was too large to fit into garbage bags; such debris as construction materials, household appliances, and tires (Figure 3).
Table 1: Comparisons of Total Shoreline Cleaned, Weight of Debris, and Number of Volunteers, for 2001, 2002, and 2003 Beach Sweeps. Year 2001 2002 2003
Number of Volunteers 1000 2000 2344
Total Debris (metric tons) 22 15 13
Total Shoreline Cleaned 150 192 188.5
Table 2: Interesting debris items found in Beach Sweep 2003. Debris items collected that caught our attention… Recreational Activities strollers, boots, blankets, a message in a bottle, electric massager, T.V. antenna, etc. Ocean and Waterway Activities lobster cages, cables, chains, buoys, rope, large anchor, oil jugs, etc. Smoking Activities lighters, cigar filters, cigarette butts, etc. Dumping Activities washing machine, cauldron, car motors, rake, door, mattresses, couches, construction material, etc Medical and Personal Hygiene tampons, applicators, condoms, Q-tips, pill container, perfume bottle, etc. ‘Items of Local Concern’ lots of glass, plastic, wood, and metal pieces, dead animals, etc.
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Figure 2: Beach Sweep Debris Totals for New Brunswick 2003
25%
Recreational Activities 42%
Ocean/Waterway Activities Smoking Related Activities Dumping Activities
2%
Medical/Personal Hygiene Items of Local Concern'
4% 15%
12%
Figure 3: Beach debris found in a 2003 Beach Sweep; debris mainly associated with dumping activities.
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Discussion The 2003 Provincial Beach Sweep Program was, once again, a proven success. Overall the number of volunteers increased, the kilometers of shoreline cleaned remained the same, and the weight of debris collected decreased. The Beach Sweep program began with a coordinator contacting local schools, communities and environmental organizations to promote awareness and to encourage them to organize a cleanup of local coastlines or rivers. The project coordinator assisted volunteers with developing the event and acquiring equipment and supplies. The goals of Beach Sweep are sustainability, recycling programs, Adopt-A- Beach Programs, public education, storm water system overhaul, and legislative reform.
The reduction in debris collected this year may be due to the cumulative effect of annual coastal beach cleanups and/or increased public awareness. Education programs such as the Household Hazardous Materials (HHM) program offered by ACAP Saint John for the previous three years is but one example of environmental awareness campaigns directed at youth New Brunswick. Due to the success of the HHM program, a Beach Sweep Educational Program is being developed for the 2004-2005 school year. A pilot project was conducted in June 2003, with approximately one hundred children in attendance. These fourth grade students were educated on beach pollution and prevention. The results were very encouraging as the students were sincerely interested in the Beach Sweep presentation and showed compassion for endangered wildlife and habitat. The schools that were approached were appreciative of the presentation but were unable to conduct a Beach Sweep. The teachers felt liability was a major concern, as they would be
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responsible for the students while they were off of school grounds. Transportation funding played an additional factor, further preventing the schools from organizing a cleanup.
In the northern portion of New Brunswick, schools are heavily involved in Beach Sweeps and participation does not seem to be a problem, as busing is provided for the children in the off hours. The main obstacles in the north were attributed to weather, previous engagements, and limited time to organize and participate in such an event.
Shoreline and recreational activities produced the most debris collected this year. This may be a result of many of the beaches cleaned are typically used for beach-going activities. There was a large amount of debris collected in the ‘items of local concern’ category, and this may be due to the specificity of the data card. The Beach Sweep data card, borrowed from the International Coastal Cleanup, is quite specific and volunteers struggled with placing debris in the correct categories. There are no general categories available for items such as paper, aluminum foil, wood, and plastic pieces. Therefore volunteers used the ‘items of local concern’ category to record these commonly found items, as it was blank.
For years Beach Sweeps have proven successful in removing marine debris from our coastlines. While the impacts of Beach Sweeps are very important, it is now recognized that pollution prevention is more efficient than pollution cleanup. That is why it is imperative to educate the public about debris prevention and incorporate the principles
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of: reusing, reducing and recycling materials. Therefore a new component on source reduction was added to the 2003 Beach Sweep program. The context of source reduction in this program is education on the methods to decrease the amount of debris entering coastlines.
The source reduction component of Beach Sweep is becoming a critical aspect of the program. In the next few years, ACAP Saint John and its partners hope to implement new strategies that will make the Beach Sweep program predominantly proactive rather than reactive as it has been in the past. Specifically, a four-pronged approach will be implemented to reduce the amount of debris entering the environment.
First, local businesses will be approached in a cooperative manner to work towards reducing the potential for litter originating at their site. If the business is interested, public education will be initiated through creative posters and presentations in pubic venues such as malls.
Second, a ‘magazine’ on waste management will be produced and distributed to public venues (medical offices, libraries, schools, on-line/website, etc.). The magazine will consist of information pertaining to the kinds of debris found on NB beaches, the source of that debris, its implications to people and the natural environment, and what can or is being done on both a local and global scale to address the problem. The magazine will also highlight the many successes of the Provincial Beach Sweep program that have allowed it to reach its fifth year of operation.
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Thirdly, schools and youth groups (such as Scouts and Girl Guides) will be solicited to expand upon the public education component of source reduction. Tips for the prevention and/or reduction of debris, the importance of individual participation, and ways of participating in events such as Beach Sweeps will be incorporated.
Fourth, an Eco-Tourism contact was established and talks of blending more environmental messaging on NB tourist websites and brochures were discussed for future years. Likewise, the Canadian Coast Guard and local marinas will be approached to promote source reduction through courtesy ads in venues such as the “Safe Boaters Guide� and through signage at landings.
In comparison with 2002, the number of volunteers, and number of organizations involved increased. Ideally due to increased awareness the volume of debris collected this year was less than the volume collected in previous years. However it should be noted that it may be that the items found were simply less in weight (i.e. cigarette butts vs. fridge) illustrating a shift in the shoreline activities. With the Beach Sweep educational program being developed for next year, and the other activities concerning source reduction hopefully youth participation will increase.
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Figure 4: Joanah Lee from ACAP Saint John distributing sunscreen to participants at a Beach Sweep Volunteer Appreciation Barbeque.
Recommendations Although the Provincial Beach Sweep program was a success this year, there are aspects of the program, which need to be re-evaluated and improved upon. Of the many volunteers that participated in Beach Sweep activities, only about fifty percent filled out the debris data cards. Volunteers found that the data cards were too specific and time consuming. A few volunteers were concerned with tiny pieces of debris and whether they should be classified as a whole or as a part of a whole. There were no specific places to fill in, for example, ‘pieces of plastic’. Volunteers had a difficult time deciding where the pieces of plastic came from (i.e. plastic food container, fishing equipment etc.). Therefore
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the ‘items of local concern’ category was over exaggerated and filled with items such as plastic, foam, and metal debris, as the pieces were hard to place in other categories. This category was intended for entangled animals and other uncommon items only found in that specific area.
This year the volunteer appreciation tokens were well received; the sandpiper pins were distributed again along with the remaining Beach Sweep Tilley hats. The adult size Tilley hats were distributed more quickly than the child size hats due to increased adult participation. In the northern portion of the province, cotton tote bags with the Beach Sweep logo were designed and passed out to volunteers. This year we were fortunate to have had the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Association donate sunscreen for Beach Sweep volunteers. A total of 500 units of sunscreen were donated and distributed at ACAP’s annual Beach Sweep on September 20. Certificates signed by the Environment Minister were not requested due to their limited success last year. A half page appreciation ad was placed in a local Caraquet newspaper, L’ Acadie Nouvelle, to thank the volunteers.
It is important to recognize and distinguish between coastlines that have and have not been cleaned, along with the volunteers involved. Signs donated by the Environmental Trust Fund stating ‘Think Globally And Act Locally’ were distributed to inform tourists and visitors that New Brunswick residents take pride in their beaches. This permanent signage along with other educational tools will help to educate tourists and prevent visitors from adding to our pollution problem.
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This year the timing was optimal for the Provincial Beach Sweep program, as it was conducted in the late spring and summer allowing most organizations the time to schedule a cleanup event. Spring provides perfect weather for cleaning beaches, although volunteers must be careful not to disturb wildlife habitat. For example for Beach Sweeps in the spring; volunteers must be cautious of not disturbing plover nesting grounds.
The Girl Guides and Boy Scouts were contacted in the spring with the idea of conducting a Beach Sweep, but they require six months to a year to coordinate activities and outings. Once again many additional groups showed interest in the program and said perhaps next year they would be able to schedule a Beach Sweep. A few schools in the area were contacted in June, and had the opportunity to participate in cleanups but chose not to. The educational Beach Sweep program being designed for 2004-2005 and further inquiries into transportation next year will most likely increase school participation.
In conclusion, the 2003 Provincial Beach Sweep program was a proven success. The momentum gained both in volunteer support and source reduction concepts should be pursued in 2004/5 to ensure increased public awareness of the effects of marine debris on coastal ecosystems, and ultimately to decrease the volume of debris entering the marine environment.
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Beach Sweep Contributors 2003 Sponsors
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Friends of The Environment Foundation Hon. Elsie Wayne MP Irving Nature Park GE Barbours Ltd. NB Environmental Trust Fund City of Saint John Saint John Port Authority ACAP Saint John Irving Oil Ltd. Fundy Regional Solid Waste Commission Connors Bros. Eastern Charlotte Waterways Millidgeville Market Square ALERT NB Pharmacists Association Scotsburn Tim Horton’s West United Way of Greater Saint John Saint John Recycling Ship and Shore Cartage The Ocean Conservancy South West Solid Waste Commission Communities in Bloom South Central Citizens Council
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