Hawaii “Nets to Energy” Program Only Part of the Solution
Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, one of the largest conservation areas in the world, is home to many rare and endangered species such as the green sea turtle and the monk seal. Unfortunately, it has also become home to millions of pounds of forsaken fishing nets and gear. The debris that has been lost at sea finds its way to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), threatening to smother the coral reefs and strangle the marine life that inhabits the area.
Recognizing the need to preserve the NWHI area and protect it from the harms of the debris, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been conducting annual removal cruises in the region for 14 years. Now, with the help of the United States Coast Guard, Schnitzer Steel Hawaii, and Covanta Energy, they have found a place and purpose for the discarded debris. Through the partnership, the Hawaii Nets to Energy Program was born. According to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument website, derelict nets, fishing line, and rope are collected by NOAA and USCG, shipped to Oahu, and transported to Schnitzer Steel Hawaii. At Schnitzer Steel’s Campbell Industrial Park location, the rubbish is shredded and then transported to Covanta Energy where it is combined with other municipal waste, and finally combusted to create electricity.
It is estimated that the energy created by the combustion of the debris is enough to power 600 homes on Oahu for a year. Clearly, the Hawaii Nets to Energy Program is an innovative approach to a perpetual problem. As David Holst, acting director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program put it, “The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to be a partner in this proactive alternative to marine debris disposal. This program exemplifies what is possible when government, industry, and the private sector come together”.
Creative and beneficial as the Hawaii Nets to Energy Program is, it addresses the symptoms. But that’s only part of the problem.
NOAA Deputy Superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea, David Swatland, recognizes that the problem has potential to grow if not monitored. “The last couple years, we’ve been able to pull out just about as much as has accumulated, but if we can’t get out there and do that every year, the amount out there is going to keep getting bigger.”
A more sustainable solution requires getting to the source of the problem-the fishermen that carelessly cast their nets and gear off into the ocean. As Swatland stated, “Marine debris is just a symptom of how we manage our resources. Until we change our behaviors, these issues will continue to threaten our ecosystems”.
But how do we change the behaviors of those causing the problem? Is it possible to track the origin of the debris? Could fines or penalties of some sort be implemented to deter such behavior?
These are questions that will hopefully be addressed, along with others of importance for our precious Papahānaumokuākea, at the upcoming Marine Debris Conference to be held in Honolulu, March 20-25, 2011.
