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Net Patrol

 

To report a net on the beach, contact Project Manager Barbara at 808-635-2593 or bwiedner@kauai.surfrider.org

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Helping to protect our endangered seals, turtles, and corals

On Kauai’s windward shores, thousands of pounds of plastic pollution wash ashore every year – most from commercial fishing operations, with fishing nets being the main culprit. The tides bring in tangled masses of ropes and lines, many weighing over 1,000 pounds. We launched “Net Patrol” in 2007 in response to the growing problem of debris on outlying beaches and coastlines. Removing the net masses requires digging, cutting, dragging, and hauling. It is important to get to the nets before the next high tide, so we mobilize Net Patrol to remove them. If left on the coastline, the ocean will wash them out again, where they can entangle fish, monk seals and turtles – or ensnare coral heads.

Net Patrol is a unique cleanup that is physically challenging and oftentimes requires carrying heavy nets, using knives to cut through net, and walking along difficult and rocky terrain. They are usually scheduled a month in advance, on Wednesday afternoons from 3:20 pm to 6:30pm. If you are interested, please reacou out to Barbara Widener and check on social media for the latest location.

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162,902 lbs of Marine Debris in 2024

In partnership with Hawaii Wildlife Fund and Hawaii Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research, Surfrider Foundation Kauaʻi volunteers removed more than 162,902 pounds (81 tons) of marine debris and trash from Kauaʻi’s beaches and rocky coastline. This figure beats the previously held record of 120,000 pounds in 2017.

Debris by year thru 2022

Three Decades of Debris Data

Surfrider Kauai and the Hawaii Wildlife Fund have partnered to share knowledge and interpret three decades worth of debris data. Learn more about what 30 years of regular cleanup activities reveal about marine debris recovery efforts in Hawai’i.

"Operation Airlift" Nets 4,200 Pounds of Debris

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Net Patro

Debris Collection on the island of Kaua'i

Tracking and categorizing the collection of marine debris over the years has highlighted trends in the types of marine debris that wash ashore.