News
The Ocean Cleanup wins $1M award to combat river plastic in Jamaica
The Ocean Cleanup, the Dutch non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, has announced it has been awarded $1M USD by the Benioff Ocean Initiative to stop plastic from reaching the ocean at Sandy Gully in the heart of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica.
The highly visible location, which is vital to Jamaica’s international tourism industry, will reaffirm the country’s strong commitment to protecting the environment and arm it with new capabilities to address the challenge. The project will be one of the first river projects The Ocean Cleanup is undertaking while scaling up to tackle the 1000 heaviest polluting rivers in the world. The project is expected to be initiated at the beginning of 2021.
The award to The Ocean Cleanup is one of nine granted by the Benioff Ocean Initiative, in a partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation. Per research conducted by The Ocean Cleanup, Hunts Bay is Jamaica’s most polluted waterway, responsible for an estimated 578,000 kg of plastic flowing into the ocean each year, which equates to roughly the weight of 80 African elephants.
“To clean the world’s oceans, it is important, but not enough to collect plastic debris that has accumulated in the ocean; we must also stop new plastic from reaching the ocean” said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. “We are grateful to the Benioff Ocean Initiative and The Coca-Cola Foundation for their support and for recognizing the key importance of addressing rivers in solving ocean plastic pollution.”
In Collaboration with the Recycling Partners of Jamaica
For this project, The Ocean Cleanup will collaborate with the Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) to deploy an Interceptor, its scalable and solar-powered solution that is capable of capturing 50,000 kg of trash per day. RPJ will operate the Interceptor and ensure the environmentally sound disposal of all collected plastics and materials. Key national focus will also be placed on a robust communication and community education program that will encourage proper waste disposal and active recycling cultures. Additional funding to maintain the project will be secured through other partners.
“Jamaica’s rivers and oceans are intrinsic to our landscape and livelihoods”, said Nalini Sooklal, General Manager of RPJ. “By deploying an Interceptor from The Ocean Cleanup, we will remove a tremendous amount of garbage from Kingston Harbour before it has a chance to wash into the ocean, and at the same time greatly increase awareness of our efforts, further motivate our people to adopt new behaviors. We wish to thank The Ocean Cleanup and the Benioff Ocean Initiative for this opportunity to positively impact vital resources and our community.”
A Global Effort
The project is part of The Ocean Cleanup’s ambition to stop plastic pollution at the source by tackling the 1000 heaviest-contributing rivers in the world. The Ocean Cleanup currently has Interceptors online in Jakarta (Indonesia) and Klang (Malaysia), and will soon start installation in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). Prior to Jamaica, Interceptor scale-up projects were announced for Vietnam, Thailand, and Los Angeles County (USA).
As part of The Ocean Cleanup’s research to map the problem, it was established that 1,000 of the world’s 100,000 rivers (1%) are responsible for roughly 80 percent of the garbage entering the oceans. The product of their global scientific measurement and modeling efforts has been visualized in an interactive map that is accessible here.
For more information about The Ocean Cleanup visit their website by clicking here.
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Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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