The Mission

Our small team was made up of experienced crew who know all too well the challenges our oceans face. Passionate about protecting the future of marine life, their impact was significant. They worked long days on the beaches, tackling the relentless tide of marine plastic pollution driven ashore by wind, waves, and currents.

Their determination was fuelled by their understanding of the immense threat that this vast array of trash poses to local wildlife. The turtle population in the lagoon is already facing significant environmental challenges, and the burden of plastic pollution adds yet another layer to navigate in their quest to survive.

Restoring Critical Habitats

Restoring these critical habitats is a crucial task. Over 2 weeks, we cleaned just over 10 kilometres of coastline across five islands of this remote atoll, removing discarded heavy fishing gear and thousands of lightweight plastic consumer, items from pristine white sands and rocky coral beaches. In total, a staggering 9.3 tonnes of trash was removed, underscoring the severity of the pollution problem.

Our hard work made a visible impact, highlighting both the scale of the issue and the urgent need for global action to protect important marine biodiversity hotspots like Cocos. An alarming 1,132 bags were packed to the brim with mostly lightweight plastic consumer items, conservatively estimated to contain over 700,000 pieces of trash. On the pristine white sands, they created a jarring contrast against the innocent hermit crabs, untouched sand, and sparkling turquoise waters.

To support our work, we document collected items, identify microplastic hotspots, and monitor plastic pollution trends, sharing this data with stakeholders and researchers. We use CSIRO’s transect methodology to gather detailed insights across the marine park.

Cleaning up in remote locations like the Cocos Islands is challenging. With few roads and no machines to assist, the only way to tackle the pollution is with your hands. The crew spent long days on windy beaches under the hot sun, and the constant bending up and down takes its toll! There is no time for days off when you are protecting nature, but every piece of plastic or rope collected helps to keep an array of local marine life safer.

From Trash to Art

Ghost gear and long ropes, weighing 2.7 tonnes, were carried from the beaches. These were taken to a location where the local community and artists could use them for art projects such as basket weaving, wall hangings, to further their life instead of being burnt at the waste stations.

The Clean Up – across the islands

Home Island
The cultural heart of the islands and home to the Cocos Malay community, was a key focus. Over five days, we cleared 2.8 kilometres of heavily impacted coastline, removing 4.12 tonnes of trash, including a large polyberg buoy, one tonne of rope, and various consumer items. Water bottles and containers had trapped wildlife, and hermit crabs were using plastic lids as makeshift shells leaving them vulnerable to predators.

West Island
With calm waters on the lagoon side, yielded 1.52 tonnes of trash, while the windward side added another 1.2 tonnes to the total haul from 7 kilometres of beaches—all of which had been cleaned during the 2023 campaign.

South Island
Posed the biggest challenge and was perhaps the toughest area to clean in 2024. The team began at dawn, using small boats and canoes to cross the lagoon to reach the island. By the end of a gruelling day, we had loaded 1,250 kilograms of ropes and plastic items into large bulk bags and carried them a kilometre across soft sand beaches to the canoes. It was a wild, rugged place, and while the work was exhausting, the impact was huge.

Horsburgh Island
A new cleanup destination, was accessible only by small boat. Thanks to a local boat operator, we set out at first light on a windy day, escorted by dolphins as we crossed the lagoon. Upon arrival, we cleaned the most impacted beach, where trash had been pushed deep into the undergrowth, making collection challenging due to the active Macau paper wasps. Over the day the beach was transformed by the team as they picked up 770 kilograms of plastic items, including two large polyberg floats and a 78-kilogram fishing net buried in the sand.

Direction Island
Played its part where a community morning cleanup was held. Volunteers made a a significant contribution collecting 376 kilograms of plastic from just 200 metres of beach. In 2023 the island was completely cleared of plastic and ghost gear. During the campaign, we connected with the local community through beach cleanups and an evening event with the Sea Shepherd crew, featuring a screening of Life by a Whisker to support Sea Shepherd’s Australian Sea Lion Campaign. We held a successful nurdle hunt as part of the Great Global Nurdle Hunt initiative. Volunteers spent a meaningful morning with the Junior Marine Rangers, discussing marine plastics and inspiring their passion to protect their backyard marine park.

Where does it all go?

In remote areas, communities often have no option but to burn waste. On coral atolls, landfills are risky as burying waste on low-lying islands can easily contaminate the water table. On the Cocos Keeling Islands, strict biosecurity laws and the prohibitive cost of shipping waste off-island make disposal a significant challenge and the islands are left with little choice but to open burn their waste. This is not what you expect to see in Australia but is the harsh reality globally for remote communities.

The Toll of Single-Use Plastics on Isolated Ecosystems

Over the past five years, Sea Shepherd has removed more than 49 tonnes of marine plastic pollution from the Cocos Keeling Islands. Since the initial cleanup in 2020, we’ve monitored what has washed up and established that regular cleanups are essential to protect these marine habitats. We have observed how changing consumer trends are reflected in the trash that washes ashore and the impact this is having on fragile coastlines.

Packaging trends are particularly concerning, with a rise in multi layered, lightweight, and unrecyclable plastics such as sachets. Unilever alone was predicted to produce 53 billion sachets in 2023, contributing heavily to this global problem. Presently the growing market for sachet packaging is found in countries with little waste management infrastructure and lower socio economic communities, resulting in millions ending up in the ocean. Here they fragment into microplastics, creating a toxic environment where marine life struggle to distinguish food from toxic trash.

The crew picked up many sachets with the Unilever branding that had washed up onto the Cocos beaches. This shift highlights the global trend of escalating plastic production, driven by profit at the expense of marine ecosystems and the planet’s future.

Looking Ahead

We believe a future without toxic plastic is achievable—a world where marine life thrives in clean and safe waters, free from the dangers of pollution. The responsibility of cleaning up should not rest entirely on volunteers, consumers, or local communities.

Global manufacturers are not meeting their targets to provide sustainable solutions for their packaging and need to take accountability for the end-of-life stage of their products, so that places like the Cocos Keeling Islands can continue to be a sanctuary for wildlife. Inspiring EVERYONE to act is key to protecting our oceans. Whether it’s reducing plastic use, joining cleanups, lobbying your local MP for better packaging regulations or supporting organizations like Sea Shepherd. Everyone has the power to make a difference. together, we can create a healthier, cleaner future for marine life.

This year’s campaign was made possible thanks to the support of Cocos Marine Parks, whose team joined us on the beaches. The Shire of Cocos Keeling Islands played a vital role assisting with the removal and management of the collected waste. The local community rallied together, providing crucial help when needed and actively supporting our efforts on the beaches.

Although the 2024 Trash Bash has come to an end, the fight against marine plastic pollution is far from over. Sea Shepherd Australia remains steadfast in this battle, and with your continued support, we can make a lasting difference. Every piece of plastic removed, and every cleanup completed brings us one step closer to healthier oceans and a brighter future for our planet.

Reporting by Liza Dicks

Remote Marine Debris Campaigner