Pollution & Solutions Workshop – Richmond River

Our latest Byron Bay Hope Spot Ocean Champions workshop offered an opportunity for community members to participate in hands-on action to clean up the trash in our waterways and learn more about the threats facing the Richmond River. One of the most degraded rivers in Australia, the Richmond flows straight out to sea, along our coastal beaches and into the Cape Byron Marine Park.

Over 20 attendees helped to clean-up around the Fishery Creek Boat Harbour in West Ballina, and over 1890 pieces of trash, weighing 174kg! The items were documented to provide important data about sources of waste, with plastic packaging and pieces being the most common, as well as fishing debris, rope and cigarette butts.

The afternoon was spent at Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue (ASTR) where attendees heard about our Healthy Waterways-Healthy Dolphins project work and progress in the Richmond River from our own Dr Liz Hawkins. We also heard from Professor Kirsten Benkendorff about her fascinating, and slightly terrifying, work on pollutants and oysters and the research findings of her team at Southern Cross University. ASTR’s Amanda Philp also shared some insight into how local wildlife such as seabirds and turtles are impacted by plastic pollution & fishing debris on the river. Attendees learnt about the many generations of bottlenose dolphins who call the Richmond River home, as well as about the 21 potentially harmful chemicals (primarily herbicides and pesticides) found in oysters along the waterway.

Local organisations Ozfish Unlimited (who supported the event through their Keep It Clean campaign) and Richmond Riverkeeper also shared their current projects to restore dolphin and fish habitat and regenerate the river. This involved many exciting community projects such as bringing back local oyster populations using ROBs (Robust Oyster Baskets) and hardy local oyster subspecies, working with traditional custodians, riparian restoration, tackling litter, citizen science and creating river and waterway custodians in our community.

Each one of us can be an Ocean Champion and make a difference to improve the health of our Richmond River. From reducing plastic waste, using earth friendly herbicides, pesticides and cleaning products, to picking up litter, it all makes a difference! Here’s a few ways we can help:

• Support local organisations (volunteer or donate) like Dolphin Research Australia, Ozfish Unlimited & Richmond Riverkeepers
• Shop organic and avoid heavily sprayed foods
• Be mindful of your own chemical use at home, in gardens & agriculture
• Pick up rubbish on our riverbanks & coasts
• Be a custodian for our waterways
• Advocate for better regulation of agricultural chemical use
• Restore riverbanks by planting natives
• Support community projects like oyster reef and saltmarsh restoration that help improve water quality and increase biodiversity.
• Organise community clean up events in your local area

A huge thank you to Professor Kirsten Benkendorff from Southern Cross University, Richmond River Keepers, OzFish Unlimited, Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue and our Dolphin Research Australia team for sharing your work and helping to shed light on the issues and solutions! Additional thanks to Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue for providing a meeting space and our funding supporters; Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet program and Splendour In The Grass via FEAT’s ‘Solar Slice’ initiative.

The Richmond River: Pollution & Solutions day was part of a series of workshops running throughout the year as part of the Byron Bay Hope Spot Ocean Champions program organised by Dolphin Research Australia supported by a grant from Patagonia’s 1% for the Planet program. The workshops each address key threats facing our marine wildlife and grass-roots actions to promote positive change and improved protection.