The Maryland Coastal Bays Program, in conjunction with the Ocean Pines Association, is gearing up to host its fourth annual Marine Debris Plunder, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 22.
Local actor Trey Eversman, playing Capt. Jack Sparrow, is pictured cleaning up debris at a previous Maryland Coastal Bays’ Marine Debris Plunder.
Submitted photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Worcester County residents are encouraged to keep local bays, beaches, and streets clean in an organized effort later this month.
The Maryland Coastal Bays Program, in conjunction with the Ocean Pines Association, is gearing up to host its fourth annual Marine Debris Plunder on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organization will welcome volunteers on foot and by boat as they gather trash from waterways and land.
Participants may fetch debris from the bays, any Ocean City or Assateague beach, or on any road or pathway and take it to the Ocean Pines White Horse Park boat ramp for collection.
Local actor Trey Eversman will play Captain Jack Sparrow to help gather the trash and “rally the troops,” MCBP Outreach and Marketing Coordinator Sandi Smith said. He and his team will also ensure that the collected items are weighed and disposed of properly.
The initiative was born out of MCBP’s “ghost pot” program, which was launched in 2009 to retrieve abandoned crab pots, also known as “ghost pots,” from coastal waterways. When the cages are left unattended, they continue to capture and kill sea creatures, including Diamondback terrapins, ducks, and otters, unintentionally for years on end.
Smith said that in 2019, the program received funding to host a “Ghost Pot Rodeo” to educate the community on the dangers of abandoned cages and encourage participation in their removal. That initiative has since transitioned into the annual Marine Debris Plunder. Volunteers may collect any debris they encounter on land or by boat and take it to the event organizers to dispose of.
“As a boater, you see stuff out there like a big piece of debris, you’ll put it on your boat, but then what are you supposed to do with it?” Smith said. “We are encouraging people to get out there, grab the big stuff, and give it to us. We have had boaters call us and tell them they see stuff but don’t know what to do with it. It is a good outreach event to amend this issue.”
While not required, boaters are encouraged register online prior to Sept. 22 and will be provided with tools like a bucket, tarp, gloves, and a net. However, if individuals or teams decide to participate the day of, they are welcome.
“Boaters are encouraged to register, but only if they want their equipment ahead of time,” the outreach coordinator said. “If it’s a beautiful day and they decide to hop on their boats, they can just stop by.”
On-land volunteers are also encouraged to attend. Any trash found on the beach or on pathways can be taken to White Horse Park for collection and weigh-in. Participants will be given gloves and a tally sheet. Smith said it is vital they keep track of the amount and type of trash for future grant applications.
Smith said debris continues to plague the area and does not seem to be slowing down.
“It would be great to say we have seen a decrease in trash, but we haven’t,” she said. “It is a coastal issue… When you live in coastal regions, it is windy, and trash blows. In our area, we see a lot of plastic bags, cigarette butts, water bottles, and plastic bottle caps. It is crazy how many of those you find.”
Smith wonders if a plastic bag ban would reduce the number of debris found but maintains that these kinds of restrictions are hardly received well.
A ban on single-use plastic bags and a 10-cent fee for paper or reusable bags went into effect in the City of Salisbury on July 1, 2023, and ran into resistance.
The ordinance was amended in October of that same year following feedback from establishments who were already offering paper bags to customers at no cost. According to a press release issued by the municipality on the modification, a business should not charge for any paper bag that “a food service facility gives a customer or third party delivery service to take food sliced or prepared to order from the food service facility; a pharmacy gives to a patient or customer that contains a prescription drug; or constitutes an essential part of the packaging of the product, the product itself, or which was packaged in such manner at the time of manufacture.”
“People will not be receptive to a plastic bag ban,” Smith said. “There is an expense and a behavioral change that comes with it. It is beyond education; it is just what you’re used to…It’s easy to be an armchair advocate, but there are people who don’t understand, and we have to respect each other’s values. You can say the plastic will kill a bird or the turtles, but unless people see it for themselves, they likely won’t change.”
While outright bans for Worcester County remain out of the question, MCBP hopes programs like the Marine Debris Plunder will help to keep our waterways and beaches clean and encourage the community to aid in the effort.
Ron Jon Surf Shop is funding this year’s event, and Smith said that many local businesses have started instituting environmentally conscious measures.
“The good news is a lot of local restaurants are becoming environmentally responsible,” she said. “A lot have started handing out recyclable to-go boxes. More and more of our restaurants understand that this is a valuable addition to our resort.”
Mother’s Cantina, for instance, uses compostable, biodegradable sugarcane-based alternative takeout containers. Additionally, the advocacy group FoodPrint, dedicated to encouraging the least environmentally damaging food choices, reported that in 2020, Maryland became the first state to prohibit restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and supermarkets from packaging foods in foam.
Volunteers may register for the Marine Debris Plunder on the MCBP’s website
A t-shirt will be provided while supplies last.
Any questions about the event can be sent to Smith at sandis@mdcoastalbays.org.