Volunteers travelled from all corners of Australia, leaving behind the comfort of their homes to live and work for ten days in the remote community of Alyangula. Upon arrival, the team wasted no time. Old friendships with the Rangers were rekindled, and new ones quickly formed during a joint safety briefing and orientation on the challenges of working on Country.

Groote Eylandt, part of the Anindilyakwa Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), is located in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The IPA spans approximately 10,000 km², covering the Groote Archipelago, which includes Groote Eylandt, Bickerton Island, and over 40 smaller islands. Rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, the region is home to more than 900 plant species, over 150 marine fish species, and at least 330 terrestrial vertebrate species including several threatened ones. But this unique environment is under siege. Every year, ocean currents and monsoon winds push tonnes of plastic pollution onto its remote beaches, threatening both the ecology and the cultural integrity of Country.

The clean-up kicked off with the 7th annual Clean Up Groote Eylandt Day (CUGED). At sunrise, the convoy set off from Alyangula to Umbakumba, where 105 volunteers including Rangers, Sea Shepherd crew, Parks Australia’s Ghost Net and Biosecurity team, and researchers from Charles Darwin University gathered before heading to one of the worst-affected beaches: Six Mile. This year, the debris was more than double what we encountered last year. But the spirit of community prevailed. Together, we removed a staggering 2.1 tonnes of marine debris from just 2.5 kilometres of beach.

After a BBQ lunch hosted at the Umbakumba Ranger Base, the team returned to Alyangula to weigh, sort, and log 10% of the day’s collection. The data is shared with the Rangers, CSIRO, Parks Australia, and other stakeholders to help track trends and inform future strategies. Among the most troubling finds were the high volumes of single-use plastic bottles and polystyrene both of which could have been drastically reduced with a binding Global Plastics Treaty. Sadly, world leaders failed to agree on one at their sixth meeting in Geneva, held just two days earlier.

The following day, the team headed to South Point (Wurrawilya Country), a known marine debris hotspot. After a rugged 90-minute journey to the far end of the site, the volunteers were met with an overwhelming volume of plastic waste - nearly three times more than what was collected there the previous year. Strong winds made conditions tough, as rubbish was continuously blown across the beach. Despite this, the combined efforts of just seven Sea Shepherd volunteers, eleven Rangers, and two members of the Ghost Net team resulted in a massive 1.4 tonnes of plastic removed from just 1.8 kilometres of coastline on the first day alone.

As we sorted and documented the debris, one alarming trend stood out: the sheer volume of styrofoam. This material poses a deadly risk to marine wildlife, especially the culturally significant turtles like flatback, green, hawksbill, and olive ridley, which nest in the area. Groote Eylandt, in fact, hosts the largest green sea turtle (Yimenda) rockery in the Northern Territory.

Three ghost nets were also recovered on day one. Tragically, later in the week one of these ghost nets was discovered to contain the remains of a juvenile green sea turtle - a stark reminder of why this work is so critical.

Over the next few days, the crew returned to Six Mile and South Point to continue their work, battling heat, wind, and the sheer scale of the pollution. At Six Mile, the clean-up continued inland, with rubbish found up to 100 metres from the shore, buried in dunes or blown back by the wind. Still, the team pressed on and ultimately removed 3.2 tonnes of debris from 4.9 kilometres of beach.

Back at South Point, efforts resumed with the completion of three beach transects using CSIRO’s Coastal Survey methodology. This method, used globally and adopted by the United Nations, provides essential data that supports targeted clean-ups, informs policy, and tracks progress in reducing marine debris. Three more transects were conducted at Alyangula the following day, continuing a three-year data set.

By the end of day five South Point was completed, with 4.9 tonnes removed from 10.9 kilometres of beach. Combined with earlier efforts, the total for the clean-up reached a staggering 8.1 tonnes of plastic pollution removed from 15.8 kilometres of Groote Eylandt coastline.

To celebrate and reflect on the hard work, the Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers and Sea Shepherd co-hosted a free community screening of Sir David Attenborough’s new documentary Oceans. The evening also showcased several short films highlighting the Rangers’ incredible conservation work. With 73 community members attending, it was a powerful reminder of how deeply this issue resonates locally.

Sea Shepherd Australia extends its deepest thanks to the Traditional Custodians of Groote Eylandt for granting us access to their sacred lands, including South Point (Wurrawilya Country) and 6 Mile Beach (Yantarrnga Country). Working hand-in-hand with the Rangers and community, this clean-up was more than just an environmental effort, it was a powerful act of unity, cultural respect, and shared purpose.

The fight against marine plastic is far from over, but efforts like this prove what’s possible when Ranger groups, Sea Shepherd Australia, remote communities and scientists come together to fight for our ocean.

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