Ocean garbage patch a ‘sad sight’

GOODBYE GARBAGE: Hayden Smith spends most of his days removing debris from Auckland’s waterways.

Hayden Smith has been to see the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant floating debris field in the North Pacific Ocean.

Mr Smith co-captains the Waitemata Harbour Clean Up Trust vessel, Phil Warren which removes debris from Auckland waterways.

Since its inception in December 2002 the Waitemata Harbour Clean Up Trust has removed more than 1.9 million litres of waste, he says.

Mr Smith says he’s wanted to see the Great Pacific Garbage Patch since he heard about it more than two years ago.

And now he has accomplished just that.

Mr Smith saw the patch from on board a sea plane.

He says the plan was to fly into the middle of the patch, then board a marine research vessel and meet the man who is said to have discovered the patch, Charles Moore.

That never happened – "because of the confused swells the plane touched down on the patch but didn’t stop," Mr Smith says.

He says: "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a very real phenomenon.

"The convergence zones that are formed by the ocean currents on the surface of the sea stretch from horizon to horizon and the convergence zones are lined up one after another after another."

From what he saw, Mr Smith estimates there were 70 pieces of plastic per square metre – "and that’s not counting all the pieces smaller than 5mm to 10mm".

"Five minutes from our rendezvous location in the patch, I saw four whales playing, on the
outskirts of the debris lines.

"This was a very sad sight, and throughout the flight we witnessed many derelict free-floating fishing nets, rope, polystyrene, and plastic pieces."

Mr Smith says the rubbish in the patch is everyone’s responsibility because it comes from every country in the world.

"It comes from the stormwater systems and goes out to sea when it rains."