Beach debris survey – Main Bay, Bird Island, South Georgia, 2005/06

During the sixteenth year of standardised beach surveys of man-made debris at Bird Island, South Georgia, a total of 544 items were collected, the highest number of debris collected since 1995/96. Compared to the previous recording period, 170% more items were collected during winter and 101% more during summer, a mass increase of 1.19kg overall (29%). For the third consecutive year, nylon line was absent from Bird Island, an encouraging result after the peak of 546 pieces in 1995/96. However plastic packaging bands are still regularly recovered. In the reporting period 16 pieces were found, more than in any of the previous 9 years, suggesting that the ban on their use aboard fishing vessels brought into force by CCAMLR in 1995/96 has yet to prove entirely effective. Sixty-nine pieces of multifilament (multi-strand) gillnet were found on the survey beach this year (mainly in winter) compared to 11 in 2004/05. Miscellaneous debris comprised the greatest proportion of items (84% of the total).