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Local News Writing Sample

Fragile Ricketts Point Sanctuary Threatened by Increased Pollution

by Lauren Main

Littering and stormwater pipe pollution is threatening 15-year old Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, as issues of plastic and E.coli contamination loom over the natural ecosystem.

Stormwater pipes on either side of the sanctuary are flushing E.coli into the protected waters, where native seabirds and other animals feed on the smaller molluscs. The E.coli found in the ocean’s water has been known to cause illness for local swimmers, especially young children and the elderly.

Junior-Rangers-Point-Cook-Marine-Park-19

Image: Parks Victoria

The pipes are currently being reviewed by Bayside Council for their unhygienic impact on the surrounding marine life and a resolution is expected by September 2017.

Other pollutants also pose a problem. “I think plastic is the biggest issue because it’s not seen, people don’t think about where it goes”, President of the local Ricketts Point Beach Patrol, Elizabeth Jensen, spoke out about the issue of litter and the impact of plastics on wildlife.

Explaining the dangerous cycle of plastic pollution and how difficult it is to remove, Jensen warned, “It breaks up, not down…it gets into the food chain on a micro level, and we end up consuming it”.

The Victorian State Government is under pressure to ban single-use plastic bags, like other states have done, and introduce a ten-cent deposit scheme on plastic bottles to reduce the problem at the source.

Jensen highlighted the need for improved signage around the sanctuary, alerting newcomers of the protected nature of the area and it's “no take zone”, banning the removal of any beach-combing finds.

The introduction of signage on local bins could also improve the pollution issue, said Jensen, urging council to include a contact number for visitors to call if rubbish begins to overflow or be littered due to a lack of bin space.

Port Phillip Bay’s pollution, unlike most pollution issues around the world, comes almost exclusively from within the Bay. The locality of the problem means residents can control the litter from within the community.

Jensen urged locals to take action by joining local Beach Patrol groups, “it’s not realised in the community - that we haven’t addressed the issue of plastic”.

Beach Patrol Australia (beachpatrol.com.au) began with four groups and has continued to grow. Now containing fifty-one species of fish, the Ricketts Point Beach Patrol has been running since 2003. Working along the beaches, surrounding vegetation and carparks, they pick up litter and monitor the environment, keeping the area clean for all to use.

Interview Contacts:

Elizabeth Jensen
President, Ricketts Point Beach Patrol

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