Record 103 tonnes of garbage pulled from the Pacific Ocean by Ocean Voyages

Great Pacific Garbage Patch, photo courtesy of USA Today

HONOLULU HI- On the 23rd of June, despite an ongoing pandemic, non-profit organization the Ocean Voyages Institute recovered a record 103 tonnes of rubbish from the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition left Hilo in early May for 48 days and docked in Honolulu with more than double last summer’s marine debris garbage; last year’s expedition recovered 42 tons.

Executive director Mary Crowley issues a statement: “We exceeded our goal of capturing 100 tons of toxic consumer plastics and derelict “ghost” nets, and in these challenging times, we are continuing to help restore the health of our ocean, which influences our own health and the health of our planet.”

“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Photo courtesy of Gator Prints

“I am so proud of our hardworking crew,” Crowley mentioned in her statement. Crowley originally was hoping to launch a bigger expedition over a three-month period but due to the global pandemic had to scale back. 

The expedition was highly regulated due to the pandemic and the Ocean Voyagers Institute staff implemented many measures to keep the crew safe. 

“Many people don’t realize how closely our own health is tied to the health of the ocean.” Crowley continued in her statement, finishing with “We need to keep our ocean ecosystem healthy to help us stay healthy and help the whole planet stay healthy.”

The debris collected will be sent to West Coast destinations in order to be repurposed into fuel and building insulation. 

*Please note this article has been republished and was originally published July 2020