3,500 volunteers in 68 organisations registered for September’s International Coastal Cleanup in Singapore

As of today, 3,542 volunteers are signed up through 68 organisations (schools, agencies, corporations and other groups) to tackle some 61 sites around Singapore. The date of the cleanup? On or near the international date set by the Ocean Conservancy on the third Saturday in September – 19th September 2015.

This will be the 23rd year of the international coastal cleanup in Singapore.

We began with a recruitment exercise for new site captains in March, then ICCS Zone Captains processed Organiser’s registration and allocated sites mostly in the first half of the year. About that time, they recce’d cleanup sites to ensure all was in order, and after three rounds of site allocations, we conducted three days of workshops for organisers, and amidst various talks at organisations, zone captains went on final site recces with Organisers.

We will next be updating various agencies – NParks, SLA/SPF, NEA’s Department of Public Cleanliness and the Public Hygiene Council – to update managers about specific event dates and locations, clear permissions for access where needed, avoid overlaps and secure help for trash removal at prearranged Trash Disposal Sites (TDPs).

See last year’s results.

So while in the midst of double-confirming details, here are some numbers:

1. North West (6 sites, 10 organisations) – 526 volunteers
2. North East (11 sites, 14 organisations) – 595 volunteers
3. Pulau Ubin (16 sites, 12 organisations) – 566 volunteers
4. Changi (4 sites, 9 organisations) – 580 volunteers
5. Tanah Merah (7 sites, 11 organisations) – 590 volunteers
6. East Coast (12 sites, 5 organisations) – 685 volunteers
7. South (5 sites, 6 organisations) – 220 volunteers

And who is lending their elbow to this effort? The 68 groups are from mostly educational and corporate groups but also include community groups and to smaller extent, nature and environmental groups and government agencies.

• 26 groups (1,960 volunteers) – educational institutions,
• 27 groups (1,175 volunteers) – corporate groups
• 7 groups (520 volunteers) – other communities
• 4 (205 volunteers) – nature/environment groups
• 4 (122 volunteers) – government agencies

To view the details, visit status.coastalcleanupsingapore.org

Showing our love for Singapore: National Day Coastal Cleanup @ Lim Chu Kang

7 August 2015, Friday — It was the first day of the Jubilee Weekend, and ICCS was down at Lim Chu Kang Beach and Mangrove celebrating National Day in our usual fashion; with a coastal cleanup! Altogether 48 volunteers showed our love for Singapore by removing 749kg of trash in 92 trash bags out of her Lim Chu Kang habitats.

Northwest Zone Captain Adriane Lee and I arrived on site earlier with the logistics, and did a quick recce before the participants arrived. Trash was abundant on the coastline, with various types of plastics hanging from branches and strewn under the trees.

 

 

Left: Plastic bags, raffia string, and a deflated balloon trashed!
Right: Plastic pieces strewn over the pencil roots of Avicennia sp.

  

Our hearts were filled with accomplishment at the sight of a mangrove relieved of trash so early that morning. We transferred trash bags to three Trash Collection Points (TCP) for weighing and formed a chain to transfer the weighed bags to the Trash Disposal Point at the edge of the jetty. This prearranged point with NEA’s Department of Public Cleanliness would be where the contractor would collect later.

Throughout the cleanup, we encountered mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) moults and we used the specimens to introduce these amazing mangrove critters to the cleanup volunteers. I also talked about other cleanup and guiding efforts conducted by NUS Toddycats. ICCS Coordinator Sivasothi aka Otterman rounded up the session with the conservation and research history of this site, the importance our remaining mangrove patches and the value of the morning’s effort at relieving the site of impactful trash.

 

Left: Talking about mangrove horseshoe crabs (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) using moults we found. Right: Cleanup volunteers listening intently to Sivasothi’s stories about Mandai and Lim Chu Kang mangroves in the 80’s and 90’s and how as an NUS undergraduate in the 80’s, he was was dismayed by the phenomenal amount of pollution there.

Otterman’s large Singapore Flag had disappeared this year – so the red and white shirted participants arranged themselves into a flag!

Do you see the flag?

Thank you to everyone for a sensitive and effective cleanup at Lim Chu Kang, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our nation’s 50th birthday!

Photos on Flickr.

Rare coastal horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus gigas) badly entangled by discarded fishing lines at East Coast Park

5 July 2015 – I went down together with Jonathan Tan (Youth For Ecology), Sankar A. and Law Ingsind (Herpetological Society of Singapore HSS and NUS Toddycats) to check out the coral reefs of East Coast Park. The tide was to be at 0.0m at 7.00am that morning, and would reveal the reef and much marine life.

Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems comprising of coral colonies which host a large number of marine species. Despite a loss of some 65% of our reefs to land reclamation and coastal development, Singapore does have reefs left! But the pollution is a source of stress on these remaining patches. One of our first encounters on the shoreline were two of our rare coastal horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus gigas), badly entangled by a discarded fishing line.

Removing the fishing line was tricky as the filaments had twisted into many complicated knots around the pincers. With patience, we did manage to free the precious horseshoe crabs.

In addition to the fishing line pollutions, six irresponsibly abandoned drift nets were found by the rock wall. These drift nets were extremely heavy, and over time had accumulated barnacles. We took great care when removing the nets.

The coastal horseshoe crab, Tachypleus gigas, an endangered species in Singapore;
data deficient internationally. (Photo by Ria Tan)

Left: One of the drift nets along the rock wall.
Right: A short stretch of beach polluted with plastic.

We were unprepared for the heavy load, so were only able to remove two nets before the tide rose. As we left, we hoped that unsuspecting marine life would not fall prey to this irresponsible ghost nets.

We had visited East Coast Park in the hope of examining the coral reefs, but instead spent most of our time removing nets and fishing lines which should not have been there in the first place. We hope people will realise that irresponsible habits – even littering in urban areas can affect our previous, surviving marine life.

Working together like this, we foster a keen sense of camaraderie and purpose. Even veteran ICCS Coordinator Sivasothi aka Otterman said he felt motivated by the purposeful action we took to protect marine life as our reports on Facebook reached a wider audience. As we work to figure out and implement upstream solutions as well, these encounters on the coast remind us that we are in the midst of a battle!

If you’d like to take an active role in tackling marine trash along our coastal habitats, join us for our National Day Coastal Cleanup @ Lim Chu Kang!