- Dhimurru Rangers have collected 10 tonnes of plastic in one cleanup of just 5km of coast – the equivalent of 60 two-litre plastic milk bottles every metre
- Rangers calling on Australian Govt to commit to strong global action on plastic pollution through Global Plastics Treaty and joining Global Ghost Gear initiative
- Plastic pollution harms the health of land and sea Country, and requires urgent action
Dhimurru Rangers have travelled from North East Arnhem Land to Canberra to call on the Australian Government to take more action to stop plastic pollution that’s piling up on their land and sea Country. The Rangers are meeting with Members of Parliament today to share their experiences in having to clean up tonnes of plastic waste and fishing nets that wash up on their shores.
Dhimurru Rangers are calling on the Australian Government to commit to strong global action to address the plastic waste crisis through the Global Plastics Treaty and to become a member of the Global Ghost Gear initiative.
Plastic pollution is devastating northern Australia’s coastlines, with ranger groups working tirelessly to keep Country clean and pollution free. South-easterly winds and tides are causing an accumulation of plastic fishing gear and plastic fragments along the North East Arnhem Land coast.
In a two-week cleanup in October 2022, Dhimurru Rangers in partnership with Sea Shepherd collected 10.4 tonnes of rubbish from just 4.5km of shoreline, including 9.3 tonnes of consumer plastics and waste, and 1.1 tonnes of discarded fishing nets. That’s the equivalent of 60 two-litre plastic milk bottles every metre of coast. That was 30% more waste than was collected over the same distance in 2018.
There is also an urgent need to reduce the impact of ghost nets and marine debris in our oceans and on our coasts through prevention, collection and management. Dhimurru Rangers have found turtles and other marine species tangled in fishing nets.
Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation Senior Ranger Wanga Mununggurritj said: “Plastic pollution harms the health of land and sea Country, and requires urgent action. We came to Parliament House in Canberra to ask the Australian Government to support Dhimurru Rangers and all other rangers across our communities to help stop plastic pollution including ghost nets to protect Country for the next generation.”
AMCS Plastics Campaign Manager Cip Hamilton said: “Urgent action is needed to cut plastic pollution across our oceans. There are estimated to be 170 trillion pieces of plastics floating in our oceans. Once in our oceans, plastic is challenging to recover. Plastics do not break down, but break up into plastic fragments. These plastic fragments circulate throughout the oceans, strangling, starving, and harming wildlife. Growing research is also linking plastic pollution with impacts to human health.
“We’re pleased to support Dhimurru Rangers in travelling to Canberra and advocating for stronger action that will help heal Country.”