Sailor describes 'day job'
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Kevin O’Brien worked for National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in Papahanaumokuakia Marine National Monument removing derelict fishing gear, such as nets. Fish, seals and aquatic species eat the plastic nets, and their digestive systems clog and they die.
With a crew of 16, four people in four boats, O’Brien and his coworkers take turns being dragged behind a boat on a tow board. They “mow the lawn,” sweeping back and forth, until they spot debris. Then the boat stops, and they free dive down to cut each net strand without damaging the coral. Free diving is diving without scuba gear.
On their last trip the crew gathered 36,394 kg. of fishing gear in 19 days of operation. In all they’ve harvested 54 metric tons of debris. The nets are hauled back to Oahu where Schnitzer Steel grinds the nets up and incinerates them.
One animal that may be saved by this debris removal is the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Only about 1,200 of the seals remain, and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands are where the monk seals go to give birth to their pups.
O’Brien will be returning to Hawaii on Jan. 13 to train a new crew to remove marine debris.
