Whose Trash is it?

On May 4th 2000 at about 12 noon I heard a report from a commercial boat captain on channel 16 vhf ,the Coast Guard emergency frequency. I believe it was the vessel Storm Petrel. The Captain reported that he had encountered a field of trash debris at location 26992 / 42170. As he also reported hitting some of the debris and I was not overly far from him, I paid particular attention. Sure enough on my cruise home from a days fishing with the 88 foot O.C. Princess, at about 1 o'clock, I encountered a large garbage slick at location 27017 / 42107. It was about a half mile wide at the angle I struck it. Although I did not observe any large pieces of debris, I certainly saw enough plastic trash to indicate some pretty serious dumping violations.

If you have ever fished a weed line for dolphin (mahi), you probably assume as I do that the two sets of coordinates are simply part of a long trash slick, and not two separate sightings. There are 7 1/4 nautical miles between the two points and I seriously doubt that we intersected the ends of the garbage. Therefore it was longer than that, but by how much could only be a guess. I also reported it to the Coast Guard. They asked if I had collected any plastic as evidence. No, I had not. If any action was taken at this point I am unaware of it. Now I'll go back to May 10th 1999. I was anchoring up to fish at approximately 8:40 am when I began to notice very large pieces of plastic trash streaming by in the heavy current that day. For 2 hours all manner of plastic debris came by. I pulled anchors and struck a course nearly 8 miles to another fishing location. Along the way I had to post a lookout because of the trash. A great many times I dodged to avoid fouling my propellers.

At the new fishing spot the debris was so thick that it fouled our fishing lines and anchor rode. It finally stopped at around 12:30 that afternoon. I estimate, given the strong current, that just the debris I saw was 63 square miles of plastic trash. I reported it to the Coast Guard. They asked if I had collected any evidence. I did have some of the trash onboard but nothing with writing on it. They were not interested in what I had. If any further action was taken I am unaware of it.

I come now to June 1st 2000. At 8:15 AM I intersected ANOTHER trash slick. This time at location 27020 / 42152. I collected evidence! My crew was gaffing and netting trash as hard as they could go! I reported it to the Coast Guard station Ocean City. I called U.S.C.G. Pollution Investigations at Hampton Roads. I called the National Pollution Hotline. At about 11:45 an Ocean City Coast Guard boat arrived at the coordinates I had given. I'd finally reported it right I thought. Nah. I overheard on channel 22 vhf the O.C. boat was searching to the north west. Wrong! Even though I have access to a 65,000 thousand dollar electronics package in the wheel house of the O.C. Princess, I Pulled out a paper chart and with a pencil and a finger calculated the set and drift in about 30 seconds and radioed the boat my estimate. Later I heard Station Ocean City give an RTB (return to base).

Well it had been a good day of fishing so I struck a course for the estimated position, which was well off my course home, and had no problem finding the trash again. I radioed the C.G. boat and they came to me. Meanwhile my crew picked up another mess of trash. It was 1 o'clock by this time or later and the tide and wind had caused the slick to break up somewhat. Still there was plenty of trash about. I gave the C.G. boat my three bags of evidence and told the Captain that at least it was a nice day to be on the ocean. He replied that he'd rather be inside.

The next day, on June 2, I ran into the trash again offshore of the African Queen reef site. My crew collected "evidence" again both coming and going. I radioed U.S.C.G. Group Eastern Shore. They advised me to give the trash to Station O.C.. I did. On June 4 Capt. Thomas had the Princess. He also found the trash line, but further offshore of the African Queen reef site. On June 6 I again found a trash slick. Again I had the crew collect "evidence". This time I gave it to the Mayor in the hope that he could get the ball rolling. After all, if a bunch of it washes ashore there will be immediate economic repercussions.

On June 10 I found still more, including a 55 gallon plastic drum with the label ripped off. It was much further offshore this time, about 4 miles north east of the Jackspot. That day a customer caught a piece of plastic on the bottom while fishing for sea bass 24 miles offshore. I have not seen the trash slick since. On June 20 another piece of plastic trash was caught about 27 miles north east of Ocean City on the bottom aboard the Princess. In all instances the trash we observed was neutrally bouyant, that is it did not float right on top but just under the surface, and in fact as deep as you could see. Different types of growth are attaching to the trash making it heavier and causing it to sink.

I am not alone in seeing this awful violation of I don't know how many laws and international treaties, and I know at least 3 other captains who reported it to the Coast Guard. On May 24 1997 I reported an oil slick that was at least 1/3 mile wide by 9 miles long and several inches thick about 30 miles offshore. The Coast Guard sent a boat to investigate. No action was taken. 5 days later the headlines were "Oil washes up on Assateauge Island". With a different weather pattern that could easily have been the case here too.

All manner of people are working hard to bring the ocean and bays back to a healthy state. We need a strong commitment from the military service that enforces the law on the high seas that they will at least try to catch a serious violator such as I have described. We need a plan on how to clean it up if it occurs again! I guarantee that the men in the commercial harbor could have netted a great deal of that trash.( I hear one of them did and wasn't real happy about it) But not for free. The violator should pay. And pay dearly.

A reporter asked U.S.C.G. Ocean City about this incident. He was told it was "just the trash from a pleasure boat". Maybe he's right......But having never observed anything like it in my 21 years on this part of the Atlantic until last year, I think not! It is also strange how both events occurred in close proximity by date and weather pattern (Strong nor-easters). This is, in my opinion, garbage barge dumping. It has got to stop.

Captain Monty Hawkins

Capt. Monty Hawkins
Party Boat "Morning Star"
www.morningstarfishing.com
410 520 2076 Advance Ticket and Info line
mhawkins@siteone.net
11546 Dolly Circle
Berlin, MD. 21811

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