To raise awareness about ocean pollution and protect the sensitive habitat for endangered species on the Marine Protected Area, Robben Island Museum (RIM) partnered with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, V&A Waterfront and Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, to clean up the island’s shoreline this week.

In commemorating International Coastal Clean-Up Day (September 18), about 800kg of waste (plastics, nets, fishing gear, plastic bottles and caps, polystyrene, etc.) was collected about a kilometre off RIM’s shoreline. This waste will be sorted on the island and taken off-site for recycling.

After clean-up, the participants were given an interactive eco-tour of the island. It covered, among other things, challenges brought by the marine litter on the island’s sensitive ecosystems, RIM’s pre-existing green project initiatives and threats presented by climate change.

“As a National Museum, a World Heritage Site, a tourist attraction and a Marine Protected Area, RIM’s tourism service offering drew more than 300 000 visitors annually prior to COVID-19. Albeit with the drastic drop in visitor numbers, one of our biggest challenges remains: accumulative debris on our shoreline largely attributed to waste from passing ships and land-based sources such as litter from Cape Town’s storm-water drains and rivers that ultimately flow into Table Bay,” says Morongoa Ramaboa, Robben Island Museum spokesperson.

Robben Island is also home to important breeding populations of five seabird species, including cormorants and a colony of 1 200 pairs of African penguins, which are globally endangered by pollution.

“It is important that marine waste is removed from the shoreline as it can lead to more injuries from entanglements that can lead to death of seabirds,” says Sabelo Madlala, Environment Manager of Robben Island Museum. “Coastal clean-ups also ensure that waste washed up on shorelines does not re-enter the sea again.”