After plastic from Dartmouth Higher Ferry’s cables was found all along the banks of the Dart, the owner commits to solve the problem and, in the meantime, contributes resources to help clean up its own mess.

Dart RNLI, Coastguard and Dart Harbour Authority volunteers picked up a skip full of plastic rubbish from the banks of the Dart on Saturday, September 16th. The items collected varied in size from an eight foot pontoon to the inevitable plastic bags, non-degradable mooring lines and nylon fishing lines and nets. There was even a mislaid duvet and pillow.

One volunteer who did not wish to be named said: “There was a tremendous amount of the plastic covering from the cables used by the Higher Ferry to pull itself across the Dart. They were everywhere, on both banks.”

Haydn Glanvill, paramedic on the RNLI Dart lifeboat, persuaded 17 of his fellow volunteers on the lifeboat crew, the Dartmouth Harbour Authority, and the Dartmouth Coastguard SAR team to join him in a “River Clean” last Saturday.

RCG Builders Merchants provided the gloves, collecting bags and larger dumpy bags, whilst the Harbour Authority RIBs collected the waste from the five shore teams and took it to the mid river waste collection barge. A midi skip, donated by Jaco Venter of Dartmouth Midi Skips, was filled to overflowing after the shore teams has scoured the river shore lines from the Anchor Stone near Dittisham down to the Higher Ferry.

Jacob Venter commented: “It was a brilliant idea. I was surprised at the number of people who turned up. The children and I enjoyed the day. All of us, filled a six-yard skip. There were tyres, general litter and plastic from the ferry. You don’t have any problems finding it [plastic from the ferry cables] in the skip full of rubbish. Penny Woollams has contacted the manufacturers about the problem.”

However, Penny Woollams has not determined the manufacturer of the plastic-covered cables but explained: “I am meeting with the Higher Ferry Manager to look for a solution to the problem. They has been very cooperative and has agreed readily to this meeting.”

Paul Downing, Managing Director of the Dartmouth-Kingswear Floating Bridge Company, said: “We recently were made aware of the problem; some weeks before the clean up. We contacted the manufacturer of the cable straight away and are in discussions about alternatives.

“The cable is designed for the marine environment although it does degrade over time. The cable is designed to have the correct coefficient of friction but we want something that doesn’t degrade but the starting point is always safety as we do not want it failing.

“At this stage we recognise we have an environmental problem to solve. We have a cable change in the next couple of weeks and we are hopeful this will be last one before the problem is fixed. We are fully committed to finding an alternative Cable.

“We sent resources over to help at the weekend, including one of our staff, Aaron, who is also RNLI crew, and our workboat. It is important for us to clean up our own mess and we intend to put this right.”

Unbeknown to the RNLI Dart organisers, Saturday was also in the week chosen by the Marine Conservation Society to arrange Beach Cleans at Torquay, Brixham, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Salcombe as well as at Dawlish and Exmouth. As part of this initiative Penny Woollams has organised the showing of the film “A Plastic Ocean” at the Flavel Arts Centre in Dartmouth on Thursday, September 28th at 7pm.