Molokai community helps with shoreline cleanup project

It took determination, sweat and teamwork to collect, fill and haul away more than 60 bags of marine debris over several weeks recently from beaches on Molokai's East End, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Workers included Molokai volunteers, a school class and Pu'u o Hoku Ranch staff, along with help from several state agencies, the department reported.

And, "the biggest challenge" was the estimated 10 hours of effort to take apart and take away a fishing net mass described as being "in one gigantic, doughnut-like ball, about 25 to 30 yards across," the department said. The work was even more difficult because the net mass was located on a remote, rocky shoreline. It needed to be cut into pieces to get hauled away in bags.

The marine debris was removed from Halawa Beach the week of June 25 to 29 in helicopter sling loads, which were flown to Pu'u o Hoku Ranch for staging, then trucked away for recycling or other processing, the department reported. Other debris was removed as well.

The shoreline cleanup project was the result of a collaboration among the DLNR's Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife and Boating and Ocean Recreation, Maui County, Pu'u o Hoku Ranch, Sustainable Coastlines, Windward Aviation, The Nature Conservancy and Pono Pacific.

The helicopter removal of the trash bags was estimated to have cost $8,000, which was committed to the project by DLNR's Boating and Ocean Recreation Division. Forestry and Wildlife Division staff member James Espaniola led the project planning.

He contacted the cleanup organization Sustainable Coastlines, which is able to receive, ship and process the debris to prevent it from ending in the island's landfill.

Molokai volunteers helped cut up the net and put chunks of debris into bags, which were sling-loaded into a truck. The net bags were taken to ranch property for staging. Sustainable Coastlines is planning another beach cleanup at Mo'omomi in August.