Along the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in East Arnhem Land, the Easterly winds send plastic tumbling along the shorelines. Hundreds of pieces of flotsam and jetsam nudge the feet of the Dhimurru Rangers.
The Dhimurru Rangers are part of a collective of First Nations ranger groups from across Arnhem Land undertaking programs to remove ghost nets. They are protectors and nurturers of Sea Country, its people and wildlife, carefully removing plastic waste reaching deep into the Gulf from places as far flung as the Arafura and Timor Seas and the Torres Strait.
The Rangers’ utes feature specialised equipment such as cranes to hoist bigger pieces, like ghost nets, off the sands. Ghost nets are just one part of a much bigger waste problem, with an assortment of items, from microplastics to bottles, cigarette lighters, fishing lures, toothbrushes, and lolly wrappers to fishing ropes and fuel canisters. Thousands of tonnes of rubbish is strewn along hundreds of kilometres of coastline, which is a daily reality faced by First Nations rangers from Broome to Cape York.
Tackling ocean plastic pollution and educating communities
“The ghost nets and the debris accumulate, posing a threat to ocean life… and the consequences for communities and Country are significant,” says Dr Nina Wootton, a marine researcher at Adelaide University’s Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab in the School of Biological Sciences. Dr Wootton is dedicated to tackling ocean plastic pollution and helping to educate communities. She leads research on microplastics in seafood, helps develop better ways to study marine plastics, and is the lead author on a microplastic sampling manual in coastal environments in Australia.
Plastic pollution in the marine environment is a pervasive and escalating problem, impacting ecosystems from coastal habitats to the deep sea. Persistent plastics can smother habitats, introduce toxic compounds, and be ingested by marine life, leading to injury, reduced fitness, and even mortality across a wide range of species.
Ghost nets are abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear in oceans, lakes and rivers. These nets drift through the water, snagging and smothering coral and other critical habitats, while entangling and killing marine animals. These durable synthetic materials can take hundreds of years to break down, continuing to cause harm long after they are lost.
Gulf of Carpentaria a hotspot for marine debris
Global expansion is suspected as the source of many of the nets and over 15,000 nets have been found and documented in the Gulf of Carpentaria alone, CSIRO figures reveal.
“The impacts are everywhere in the natural environment … places where Traditional Owners hunt, the animals, culturally significant sites, too,” says Wootton.
Toys for Turtles: transforming and repurposing plastic debris
Dr Wootton, through the North-east Arnhem Land community, leads a marine conservation and education initiative, Toys for Turtles. The initiative was designed in collaboration with the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and engages schools and the Northeast Arnhem Land community.
Through Toys for Turtles, plastic debris collected during beach cleanups is being repurposed into new, usable items. Pot plant holders, games, keyrings and soap dishes are just some of the items being made with specialised plastic recycling machinery. Ranger groups have helped design specialised moulds with local language names or symbols and these finished goods are sold at local festivals, or via other channels.
“Marine debris is a huge problem for the environment and wildlife in Northern Australia, including the culturally significant sea turtle,” Dr Wootton says. “With the turtle representing the marine life we want to protect, this project works with the Dhimurru Rangers, Yirralka Rangers and local students to combat the plastic problem.”
On science excursions and in other settings, local students learn about marine debris by removing and surveying plastics. Recycling machinery is processing up to 5kg of plastic per hour at recycling hubs in three locations across north-east Arnhem Land. This project is funded through the Ghost Nets Innovative Solution Grants, funded through Parks Australia (DCCEEW). There is also funding through the Max Day Environmental Fellowship (Australian Academy of Sciences) and the Cybec Foundation to further expand the work, looking at microplastic contamination in local seafood sources, and expanding locations to the Tiwi islands.
Turning the tide, scratching the surface
Toys for Turtles is one part of a broader body of work being undertaken by Wootton, including quantifying microplastics in seafood, investigating the impacts of plastics on wildlife health, and partnering with fisheries and aquaculture to reduce plastic use and loss across supply chains.
“Encouragingly, there is growing momentum in this space,” says Wootton.
“Initiatives led by researchers, Indigenous ranger groups, industry stakeholders, and organisations such as the Ghost Nets program are demonstrating that collaborative, on-ground action can make a tangible difference.”
Co-ordinated, sustained effort by government, industry and community is needed
Wootton suggests that while these efforts are beginning to turn the tide on marine debris, they are only scratching the surface of what is needed.
“Addressing marine debris at scale will require stronger, coordinated action, including greater investment, improved policy frameworks, and meaningful partnerships that centre local and Indigenous knowledge. A sustained push from governments, industry, and the broader community is essential to reduce plastic production, improve waste management, and prevent debris from entering marine ecosystems in the first place.”
Ghost Nets Australia has three main goals related to the reduction of marine debris. By 2030, they want no ghost gear from international sources washing up in Northern Australia, no ghost gear from recreational fishing and a circular program for end-of-life fishing gear in the commercial sector.
Read more about Dr Nina Wootton’s work here:
https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/nina.wootton
Read about Toys for Turtles:
https://www.toysforturtles.com/about
Explore products made by Ranger groups from recovered plastics:
https://yirralkamiyalk.com/products/marine-debris-soap-dish