One less layer of rubbish in harbour
Rubbish clogging the capital’s waterways harms marine life and while the tonnes of waste thrown into the Wellington Harbour is decreasing, our littering ways remain.
Wellington Harbour Clean Up event co-ordinator Sharon Powick said Saturday’s annual event attracted 35 scuba and free divers and a team of about 40 helpers. They pulled up everything from an Onzo bicycle, 45 road cones, old tyres, shopping trolleys, phones, clothing and general rubbish to items such as cans, bottles and plastic.
At the event, which is now in its sixth year, Powick said the volunteers would easily fill a skip bin with rubbish but the amount pulled out of the water each year had decreased from the 40 tonnes of rubbish collected in 2013.
Despite efforts to educate people about the adverse effects foreign items had on the natural environment, Powick said it shocked her every year how much and what people dumped into New Zealand’s waterways.
‘‘We’ve got so much rubbish coming up. We’re running out of helpers.’’
But there is some good news. There had been a noticeable difference in the number of marine species found in Wellington Harbour, she said.
‘‘There’s been an increase in the number of stingrays in the lagoon. They have been breeding more.
‘‘We’re seeing a decrease in the amount of rubbish in the harbour since we started, which is fantastic.’’
Some of the items pulled out of the water at the weekend had been in the harbour for years, buried in the silt.
A number of old tractor tyres, thought to be part of an old retaining wall, were cited by divers. A barge was due to help remove them, however strong winds meant the job had to be postponed.
Divers were given ‘‘catch bags’’ to fill underwater. They were brought to the surface and collected by a team of helpers who sifted through the contents for marine life.
The Island Bay Marine Education Centre set up tanks to house some of the marine life and educate the public about the creatures living in our seas, such as sea snails, crabs and starfish.