The Bering Sea has noted an abundance of foreign debris washing up on our shores. Communities like Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga and Nome have all reported and documented hoards of this debris. And these cases are the reported ones, which likely means more are unreported. Along with facilitating a response and clean up, Kawerak has written a letter to urge the Coast Guard to respond to this alarming increase of trash littering the pristine waters of the Bering Sea.

30-July: “…these are some kind of plastic bags, lots of trash all the way down the coast. …. bottles are also washed up in large numbers on this coast, its not just the plastic bags” E. Apatiki, Gambell

3-August: “My mom and I covered about 3 miles of shore today [3-Aug-2020]. Starting from the Ikuyek river to the Nengiighaq camp site. We picked (19) 40-gallon size bags weighing around 50 lbs each” E. Apatiki, Gambell

3-August: “ (lately we are seeing)…lots of Russian plastic jugs. I’ve been seeing several of these [see photo]…must be the popular cheap drink over there ” J. Erickson, Unalakleet

If you see foreign marine debris, please report it! Email/Call Austin Ahmasuk, Kawerak Marine Advocate at aahmasuk@kawerak.org, 443-4368. Descriptions and photos appreciated!
Download the PDF of the letter: Kawerak’s Letter the the Coast Guard or view it below.

August 4, 2020

U.S. COAST GUARD SECTOR ANCHORAGE BLDG. 49000, Guard Road
JBER, AK 99505

via e-mail sector.anchorage@uscg.mil

RE: Foreign Debris in the Northern Bering Sea August 2020page1image55458816

Kawerak is very concerned that foreign debris is littering the normally pristine coasts of the northern Bering Sea. From at least 4 reports (Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga, and Nome) we have received and which Kawerak staff have responded to and cleaned up Kawerak and local and regional partners have documented an alarming increase and presence of foreign debris on our ancestral shores.

Gay Sheffield of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Northwest Campus and Alaska Seagrant Program assisted local residents Erika Apitiki of Gambell and Jeff Erickson of Unalakleet with write ups of debris from near Gambell and Unalakleet which heightens our concern because of the large scale of the debris event we are now experiencing. Residents in our communities have taken it upon themselves to become first responders and despite efforts to reach out to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s, Marine Debris program and the U.S. Coast Guard it seems as though responding to this event has not been adequate to meet our concern and we are having to bear the cost of cleaning our shores ourselves.

Kawerak urges the U.S. Coast Guard to fully investigate and mitigate this event with the necessary action to enforce the rules of the sea to not dump plastics into the ocean . As shipping has been increasing we are seeing more negative impacts piled on top of others with dire consequences for our people and the environment. Our people depend on the sea for life and have stewarded the oceans only to find them being polluted and changed as shipping increases and the climate warms.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Melanie Bahnke, PRESIDENT Kawerak, Inc.

CC: Congressman Don Young Senator Lisa Murkowski

Senator Dan Sullivan