Cleanup at Papahānaumokuākea Removes 47,000 Pounds of Marine Debris

PAPAHĀNAUMOKUKEA (Hawaii News Now) – During its concluding mission, crews successfully extracted 47,000 pounds of marine debris from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Among the collected debris, over half consisted of derelict fishing nets that had become tangled in coral reefs. In addition, nearly 3,000 pounds of plastic were gathered from shorelines, and five green sea turtles were rescued from entanglements.

After the completion of the mission, crews returned to Oahu to begin sorting, recycling, and incinerating the debris. The final mission commenced from Honolulu on September 14, targeting cleanup at Kamole, Kapou, Manawai, and Hōlanikū, where they removed 28,730 pounds of nets from coral reefs, 15,290 pounds of debris from shorelines, and 2,980 pounds of plastic. With the Catch-up and Keep-up Initiative concluded, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) aims to focus on continuously removing new debris entering these crucial ecological areas.