Coastal Clean-up
Volunteer groups in Singapore are cleaning up the island nation’s beaches and waterways and helping scientists assess the scale of local marine plastic pollution
We have all likely come across the common narrative of the boy who aspired to rid his beach of sea stars washed up and stranded at low tide. In the story, a sceptical passer-by expressed doubt about his gesturing at the tens of thousands of sea stars stretching to the horizon. The boy proverbially responded that he may not be capable of making a difference for every sea star, but at least he did for the ones that he was able to move. Parallels can be drawn to the challenges presented by the burgeoning marine debris in our oceans today: The scale of the problem often appears too overwhelming to invoke any action that one would recognise as significant, yet the widespread adoption of such a mentality only risks exacerbating the issue. “I’m not causing much harm, and I can’t do anything to help” has become the dominant rhetoric.
Yet, the numbers speak for themselves. A 2013 study by the Singapore Environmental Council, a non-governmental organisation, revealed that Singaporeans used nearly three billion plastic bags a year. The National Environmental Agency then followed up in
2017, reporting that 763,400 tonnes of plastic waste were disposed of that year but only six percent was recycled, earning Singapore the new name “throw-away nation”. Much of this plastic waste ends up in the oceans as a result of improper disposal and waste management practices. Litter that floats is then washed ashore by the tides and deposited along the high-water mark up shore while that which sinks often gets trapped among the rocky or silty substrate surrounding Singapore. More attention has been given to ocean plastics particularly because unlike other forms of debris, they do not biodegrade but instead disintegrate into indistinguishable microplastic fragments – which when ingested by marine organisms, inevitably enters the food chain and into our bodies. Given that Singapore’s waters are a diversity hotspot with over 17,000 species of marine biota, it remains vital that these organisms are protected against plastic pollution.
How big of a problem are ocean plastics in Singapore? According to the Singapore Blue Plan 2018, research among the scientific community and awareness among people remain in their infancy – up till 2017, no fundamental protocol for microplastic monitoring in Singapore existed and many individuals still remain ignorant about its presence in products they consume. This knowledge gap spurred a collaboration between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the National Parks Board (NParks). Now in its third year, the marine debris monitoring programme frequently recruits volunteers to assist in monthly microplastic sampling sessions across six field sites, such as Sisters’ Island Marine Park and the mangroves of Lim Chu Kang, in hopes of uncovering marine pollution trends that can be used to establish baseline data for Singapore. Joleen Chan, a research assistant at the Department of Biological Sciences in NUS, spearheads this citizen science project. “By engaging volunteers, it is a win-win situation as researchers get scientific data to answer important questions and participants benefit as they get to experience pressing environmental issues first-hand and learn more through interactions with scientists,” she says.
“I’m not causing much harm, and I can’t do anything to help’ has become the dominant rhetoric”
The International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) has been a regular event in Singapore since 1992. Coordinated by the non-profit The Ocean Conservancy, this annual worldwide event aims to remove marine debris from coastlines and waterways worldwide and collect relevant data to better inform policy decisions at a governmental level and encourage positive change among participants. In 2016, a record 3,000 volunteers participated in the clean-up in Singapore and after 90 minutes on beaches around the island, nearly 13 tonnes of marine debris – composed of 28,330 styrofoam pieces, 26,078 plastic bottles and 15,647 cigarette butts – were collected and properly disposed of.
Over the years, ICC Singapore has inspired the founding of smaller, decentralised non-profit initiatives, such as Trash Hero Singapore, Small Change and Little Green Men. These groups, often championed by young advocates, are similarly volunteer-led and use coastal clean-ups as an avenue to create greater awareness and environmental consciousness. Little Green Men, one of many participating groups in ICC Singapore 2018, rallied over 20 volunteers to clear the beach of Chek Jawa in Pulau Ubin of marine debris. After two hours, they collected over 230kg of trash. In hopes of inspiring greater and more targeted action, the breakdown of debris is also often publicised – close to 750 drink bottles and 163 plastic straws were picked up that day, which is disturbing considering that Chek Jawa is both offshore and restricted
to public access. “For us, it is looking at something we can change as individuals, not at a corporate level,” explains co-founder Frances Loke Wei. And helping to clean up our marine environments is something that we can do.” Aside from clean-ups, Little Green Men also organises film screenings, Nature walks and other zero-waste initiatives. Aside from the 230kg of debris removed from the beach in a day, what is more significant about these groups is the mindset they hope to instill through exposure including hands-on engagement.
Such environmental groups organising group-friendly activities to engage the public, families, schools and corporations alike are seeing positive responses. “We know there is wildlife but we also know there is pollution. Now that we have children, we want them to benefit from this knowledge,” remarks Kayne Tan, a biology teacher and father who made the clean-up a family affair.
Understandably, waking up at the crack of dawn on a weekend to clean up a relatively inaccessible beach may not appeal to many, and a scenario whereby the same people participate is foreseeable. Recognising this challenge, some groups are seeking innovative ways to appeal to Singaporeans. For instance, as part of ICC Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has teamed up with local schools to organise “The Clean-Up on Kayak” event, where participants pick up debris they find while paddling in twomen kayaks.
“In 2016, a record 3,000 volunteers participated in the clean-up in Singapore and after 90 minutes on beaches around the island, nearly 13 tonnes of marine debris were collected and properly disposed of”
Another non-profit group, Our Singapore Reefs, similarly capitalises on the adventurous and novel appeal of scuba-diving. Founded by a team of local marine scientists, Our Singapore Reefs brings together dive volunteers to help in reef-cleaning initiatives. “As marine scientists, we dive in various parts of Singapore’s waters but we tend to not see what is underneath the corals,” explains co-founder and research fellow at the Reef Ecology Lab in NUS, Dr Toh Tai Chong. “The primary goal then was to gather support from various parties like nongovernmental organisations and businesses to bring volunteers out to sea to clean up the reefs. Along the way, we also educate them on what Singapore has in our waters.” On the boat rides out to clean-up sites like Lazarus Island, the scientists engage volunteers on issues like coral degradation due to ocean plastics, and this knowledge is almost immediately translated into action as they gear up and dive into the waters. Our Singapore Reefs has since adopted Project Aware’s Dive Against Debris framework of collection, sorting, weighing, systematic cataloguing and finally, proper disposal of marine trash. According to Project Aware’s online portal, where the data is uploaded and analysed by groups like Our Singapore Reefs, volunteer participation rates have spiked – from about 40 volunteers annually from 2014 to 2016 to about 447 in 2018. This, of course, coincides with an increase in the amount of trash collected from the reefs – from about 134kg yearly in 2014 to 2016 to about 408kg in 2017 and 1581kg in 2018.
“Everybody has the ability to make a change,” says Dr. Toh. “For marine debris, one simple thing is to reduce the number of items that we buy, consume and hence throw away. I think that is something we can all do.” While clean-up efforts around Singapore continue to be a meaningful platform for community engagement and awareness building, it is evident that the ultimate goal of prevention remains in Singapore’s continued battle against marine debris.
Nathaniel Soon is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies in environmental anthropology at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He is interested in documenting disappearing cultures, humanitarian disasters and recovery efforts, and marine conservation endeavours. He is the founder of Our Seas, Our Legacy, a collective using visual storytelling to raise awareness about environmental challenges and advocate for better oceans. In November 2018, at the Singapore Eco Film Festival, the collective screened its first documentary series, titled Our Seas, Our Legacy, showcasing what Singaporeans are doing to conserve our marine environment.