NOAA and several partners in Hawaii have announced a comprehensive long-term plan to actively assess and remove plastics, derelict fishing gear, and other human sources of marine debris from coastal waters and coral reefs along the island chain.
The plan, a first of its kind for the nation, will be instrumental in protecting the state’s coastal communities and marine life from the thousands of pounds of marine debris that wash ashore each year.
For the last two years, numerous governmental, non-governmental, academic, industry and private business partners from across the state worked alongside NOAA’s Marine Debris Program to develop the Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan. Building on significant ongoing and past marine debris community efforts, the plan establishes a comprehensive and cooperative framework for marine debris activities and projects across the state to reduce:
- The current backlog of marine debris
- The number of abandoned and derelict vessels
- Land-based debris in waterways
- Fishing gear and solid waste disposal at sea
Numerous strategies and activities fall under each of these goal areas, many of them already underway by Hawaii’s marine debris partners. These include debris removal efforts, emergency response, prevention and outreach campaigns, as well as increasing research and technology development. Progress will be tracked and measured for each of these areas.
