The Big Beach Clean up in Hardy's Cove/Hermitage Bay

An Exceptional Summer Ridding Beaches of Marine Debris

The Big Beach Clean up in Hardy's Cove/Hermitage Bay

Alarge portion of our time went into planning a new shoreline clean up this summer, in the Hardy’s Cove area of Hermitage Bay. It was brought to our attention that this area needed a great deal of work with the large amount of debris that had been washing ashore for many years. We accepted the challenge and surveyed the area by boat with staff from Cooke Aquaculture in mid-July. We discovered that there were 4 major beaches that needed cleaning and 4 more smaller beaches that needed work. This area with approximately 2.75 kilometer radius would require many resources to make it happen. Cooke Aquaculture, the Town of Hermitage, MAMKA, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry & Aquaculture, Connaigre Fish Farms, local cabin owners and residents volunteered to help, and a clean up was scheduled and completed on Monday, August 16th .

With boats, barges and various sized vessels, Hermitage Bay was a-buzz with each shoreline being cleaned. Volunteers delivered the debris to a Cooke Aquaculture barge that was situated in the middle of Hermitage Bay. After spending 4 hours in high summer temperatures, everyone returned to Melvin Jackman’s cabin where the NAIA team prepared Atlantic salmon kabobs, blue mussels, hot dogs and hamburgers. Overall, approximately 200 full bags (40 one-tonne sacs) of debris was removed from the beaches in the area. Most of the debris collected included: rope, fish tubs, buoys, containers and other plastic.

Special thanks to all of our sponsors, partners, and supporters who made all of these clean ups successful: Cooke Aquaculture, Mowi, Grieg Seafood NL, Kelly Cove Salmon, 360 Marine, SIMcorp Marine, Connaigre Fish Farms, Newfoundland Aqua Service, Town of St. Alban’s, Town of Harbour Breton, Town of Morrisville, Town of Hermitage-Sandyville, Town of Milltown–Head of the Bay, Town of Marystown, Miawpukek Band Council, Local Cabin owners in Hermitage Bay, Harbour Breton CYN and Youth Ventures, Elliot Premises, Harbour Breton Recreation Committee, Marvin’s Garage, MAMKA, Miawpukek Band Council, CCNL/Miawpukek Green Team, Hermitage Processing Inc., Hermitage Lions Club, St. Alban’s CYN, St. Alban’s Recreation, St. Alban’s Lions Club, St. Alban’s Heritage Group, St. Alban’s Community Channel, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, Swanger’s Cove Hatchery, North East Nutrition, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ocean Science Centre, Milltown Lions Club, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

NAIA was happy to sponsor the Bay d’Espoir Academy Junior High Science Showcase that took place on June 18th. This initiative encourages our youth to become engaged in science and innovation.

Photo: L to R: Ms. Harris, Science Teacher at Bay D’Espoir Academy accepting the cheque from Roberta Collier, NAIA Outreach Coordinator; Sheldon George, NAIA Past President / Regional Manager for Cooke Aquaculture shown here with some of the student participants.

NEWFOUNDLAND