TPMP Marine Debri Clean-Up 2025 

A fine and sunny (if not chilly!) morning recently greeted volunteers from Tasman Peninsula Marine Protection at Eaglehawk Neck for our annual organised marine debri clean-up. 

Fourteen people signed up for the event, supported by Clean Up Australia and Tasman Council. 

This year we returned to the foreshores of Norfolk Bay on the Forestier Peninsula where two teams covered the rocky shores and embayment's of the Eaglehawk – Flinders Bay Conservation Area. A third group attended to the head of Eaglehawk Bay itself. 

The results were, again, disappointing and not surprising. Over a period of a few hours, we collected the equivalent of eight large bags of debris in addition to an abandoned kayak and bulkier items.  

Plastics were of course, predominate - including hundreds of pieces of hard plastic and thousands of pieces of soft plastic fragments, rope pieces and tiny rope strands, plastic bags, bait bags, beverage containers and caps. A weather ballon and recording device were also recovered this year (albeit some distance apart!).  

Oyster lease infrastructure was again the largest category by weight and volume. 

On the eve of World Oceans Day, it was yet another stark reminder that our seas are choking in plastic and the imperative for all of us to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, and to prevent and remove litter impacting our environment. 

Sincere thanks again to all our volunteers, with special mention to Phil for his invaluable assistance in removing the debris by boat, and Terry for the tedious task in sorting. 

Marty