On Saturday, November 9, 2024, 21 recreational and fishing vessels carrying over 75 volunteers gathered for the Great Mangrove Trash Tournament. This initiative, spearheaded by the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project (KHCP), through its partners, the GraceKennedy Foundation (GKF), The Ocean Cleanup, and Clean Harbours Jamaica, aimed to remove legacy waste from the Kingston Harbour’s vital mangrove ecosystems and surrounding beaches.

Building on the momentum of the first Great Mangrove Cleanup initiative in April 2024, which rallied over 1,000 volunteers to remove more than 40,000 pounds (18,100 kg) of trash from the Harbour’s mangrove forests, the Trash Tournament engaged the boating community to tackle hard-to-reach areas along the coastline. Hosted by the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club, teams raced to gather as much waste as possible, each vying for prizes in categories such as “Most Trash Collected,” “Most Plastic Collected,” and “Single Largest Item by Mass.” In just over three hours, participants removed over 18,000 pounds (8,164 kg) of garbage, including plastic bottles, refrigerators and other waste detrimental to the mangrove ecosystem.

“This event is more than just a cleanup; it’s about coming together as a community to take responsibility for our environment,” said Caroline Mahfood, CEO of the GraceKennedy Foundation. “Despite the collective impact we’re having today, the sheer volume of garbage surrounding our mangroves highlights the ongoing challenge of waste management in Jamaica and also the need for all Jamaicans to responsibly dispose of their waste,” she said.

“Cleaning up, like what we’re doing right now is not the solution,” said Matthias Eger, Head of Environmental & Social Affairs at The Ocean Cleanup.  “We actually want to get to a point where this is no longer necessary, but what the cleanup and intercepting plastics provide us right now is damage control. It’s a very efficient band-aid to help the marine ecosystem recover while upstream policy changes [are being made].” he said.

The Great Mangrove Cleanup Trash Tournament represents an essential component of The KHCP’s broader mission. Since its inception in 2022, The KHCP has deployed waste- trapping technology at eight of the 11 most polluting gullies around Kingston Harbour – including most recently at the Sandy Gully, one of the largest gullies in Jamaica. However, much of the waste present in the mangroves is legacy waste—accumulated over many years due to improper disposal—and addressing this requires a multifaceted approach, blending community engagement, cleanup events, and continuous waste interception.

Among the standout participants at the Tournament were the winning teams who led in specific categories. Captain Dushone Lin-Tom and his team aboard “Ragamuffin” earned the Most Trash Collected (Recreational Vessel) prize, removing more than 2,200 pounds of waste. Captain Charlton Falconer on “God Bless Me” took the top spot for Most Plastic Trash Collected (Canoe) with an impressive 1,400 pounds.

In the Most Plastic Collected category, Todd Lazarus led the recreational vessels with over 600 pounds collected, while Desroy Findley collected over 500 pounds in his canoe. Finally, for the Single Largest Item by Mass, discarded refrigerators secured wins for Steven Skyes (Recreational Vessel) at over 160 pounds and Charlton Falconer (Canoe) at over 130 pounds.

The event was supported by several entities who contributed to the event’s success, including The National Environment and Planning Agency and The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard. The National Fisheries Authority played a critical role in enabling participation, including sponsoring fuel for several fishermen. Prizes were generously donated by sponsors including Upful Villa, Jakes Hotel, Carlisa Enterprises, Express Fitness, Joong Home Centre, Yamaja Engines, Fromage Gourmet Market, Ynot Bar and Grill, Guardsman Group, First Global Bank, Hi-Lo Food Stores, GK General Insurance and Harbour Wines and Spirits.

Michael McCarthy, Managing Director of Clean Harbours Jamaica, concluded, “Today’s Trash Tournament is a testament to the power of community involvement in environmental stewardship. Each participant contributed to a cleaner harbour and we’re grateful to all our tournament sponsors, volunteers, and partners, whose support made it all possible.”