Clean-up: join effort to breathe life back into our rivers, oceans

ANYONE who takes a walk along our Cape Town beaches and rivers can testify that we are drowning Mother Nature in waste – whether from individual consumers or household products, industrial waste and even medical waste.

One area that is especially vulnerable to pollution is where rivers meet the sea. Researchers have found that there, the density fronts between fresh and salt water cause zooplankton and larval fish to concentrate, making them more available to predators.

The reality, though, is that seabirds and fish are likely to be getting a high dose of man-made substances in their daily feeds in these areas.

The Black River is a case in point. It flows through the neighbourhoods of Gugulethu, Athlone, then alongside several highways past Mowbray and Maitland. It then joined by the Liesbeek River that passes through Rondebosch and Observatory, and finally reaches the sea in the industrial area of Paarden Eiland. With the amount of pollution taking place along its winding path, the levels of pollution of the water mass are devastating for bird and marine life.

Uncontrolled dumping means that during heavy rain, plastic, clothing, electronic goods and other waste wash down the river into the ocean.

In August, about 60 volunteers from different beach and river cleaning initiatives around Cape Town removed 924.5kg of waste from the Black River mouth in a mere two hours.

Upstream in the Black River, next to the M5 and N2 intersections, another group of volunteers has set up a boom to catch floating waste. They remove an average of 700kg of waste each weekend.

These volunteers are part of a growing ground force of civilians who are mobilising to push back against the tide of trash on our beaches and rivers.

They all have unique roots, united by a commitment to overturn the despair of the current pollution. With this article, you are invited to join them in this quest.

Most of the events are family- and dog-friendly.

Plastic Pollution Initiative (PPI) aims to stop plastic and polystyrene from flowing into the sea via our rivers. The PPI is currently running a petition that demands that the government act against domestic, medicinal and industrial waste dumping in Cape Town rivers

l(http://bit.ly/Stop-Waste-Petition).

HelpUp is an Observatory community initiative that trains and pays homeless people to clean up the environment together with other volunteers. They have a weekly clean-up of the Black River (https:// www.facebook.com/helpuptoday/).

Be the Change You Wish to See aims to mobilise volunteers to give back to those less fortunate, communities and the environment.

Events have been focusing on a monthly community clean-up along the Liesbeek River and other initiatives (https://www.meetup.com/ meetup-group-qsLYDKmH/).

#SeaTheBiggerPicture is a NPO known for their monthly beach cleanups around Cape Town. The initiative was started by free divers to raise awareness, organise beach clean-ups

llland educate the youth of Cape Town (https://web.facebook.com/STBPOceanInitiative/).

Oceano Reddentes is led by a Cape Town woman and her daughter who decided to act after watching the Netflix documentary Chasing Corals.

They are now using plastic bottles filled with ocean trash (eco bricks) to build a house for homeless people (https://web.facebook.com/oceanoreddentes/).

This Sunday, the PPI will be cleaning at the Black River mouth from 10am to 12pm. Bring along gloves and small garden spades; bags will be provided. For queries, contact the PPI on Facebook.

llSmith is a writer and communication strategist who helps organise river and beach clean-ups