Look What the Tide Dragged In!

Brooks Horan photo

In the past two months an influx of large or particularly hazardous pieces of marine debris have been reported. What follows is a litany of bad news for the beach, closing with a call to action.   

Two beached vessels, the most recent an 80’ steel trawler, have appeared in Long Island’s Cook Lagoon  An investigation by Alaska DEC assures us that the owners have been contacted and plan to remove the vessels after making some repairs.  

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ITN Photo

An unidentified dock tied for years to a ship wreck  in Women’s bay broke loose from its unfortunate  anchor and washed up on Zaimka island, which is protected by the Kodiak Maritime Wildlife Refuge.  The Coast Guard has taken on the role as lead responder and hopes to remove it during spring tides at the close of April, but not before thousands of pieces of polyurethane foam will have broken loose from its floatation and kept good Samaritan beachcombers busy at Buskin River and Bruhn Point.  To confuse the public discourse about derelict docks, two more were reported about the same time at Thumbs-up Cove near Chiniak and near the mouth of Salonie Creek.  These docks will have to wait as much of the funding and goodwill is tied up at the moment. 

WA Dept of Ecology 

A beach-clean-up on Afognak island during the first week of April turned up two bottles of phostoxin, a deadly rat poison gas.  This discovery was the first of its kind reported in the Kodiak area, but is only part of an epidemic extending as far down the coast as Washington.  Anyone who suspects they have found phostoxin canisters should contact Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

ITN Photo

On  April 6 ITN discovered the final missing lifeboat from the wreckage of the Kulluk oil drilling rig on a remote stretch of Tugidak island.  Four larger lifeboats were removed from Sitkalidak island this month near the site of the grounding.  Because of our existing permits to clean up Tugidak, we will attempt to respond to the fifth vessel ourselves and fold the removal of the boat into our existing plans. 

Finally, scores of pieces of foam believed to be tied to the 2011 Japan tsunami continue to wash ashore at places like Lake Gertrude beach in Ft. Abercrombie state park.  Besides being the largest single source of marine debris we have seen, tsunami debris carries with it the additional threat of invasive species.

Recognizing the dangers marine debris poses to human health, habitat, and the economy, the Alaska legislature passed  HB 131 which strengthens the enforcement and accountability for derelict vessels.  They also authorized an immediate $1M appropriation from the state treasury to clean up tsunami debris in the hardest hit areas of the Gulf of Alaska, including some areas of Shuyak and Afognak.  Despite the show of leadership by our lawmakers, this funding is not secure yet and we’re asking our supporters to help by writing a letter to the governor to prevent a possible veto of the measure. 

It seems that for some, the ocean is an increasingly attractive place to dispose of their personal property. The sea can swallow its conquests whole, as it did with some Japanese villages, but sometimes its spits them out; Sometimes in an inconvenience place, like a wildlife refuge or critical habitat, and sometimes a particularly hazardous remnant, such as rat poison gas.

Tougher laws and more funding will be needed to keep protect our ocean and its resources.  Please do your part by working to prevent marine debris when possible, removing it when practical, and supporting ITN’s efforts to raise awareness about this global issue.  Please write Governor Parnell to support the $1M general fund appropriation for marine debris removal and to support the passage of HB 131.