Volunteers remove 400kgs of rubbish from Mandurah's coastlines as part of Luca's Legacy clean-up

A huge 400kgs of rubbish has been removed from Mandurah's coastlines as part of the annual Luca's Legacy community clean-up.

The clean-up is held in memory of a young local dolphin, Luca, who died in 2019 after becoming entangled in fishing line.

Close to 250 volunteers scoured the coast at Dawesville Cut, Creery Wetlands and Boundary Island to collect waste which would have otherwise made its way into the waterways. 

Mayor Rhys Williams said events such as Luca’s Legacy helped to instil change in future generations and create momentum in caring for Mandurah’s natural environment. 

“A huge part of the Mandurah lifestyle is enjoying our local waterways, our estuaries, beaches and amazing coastlines,” Mayor Williams said. 

“Coming together to clean up and collect rubbish is a great display of community spirit, but we need to make this a daily habit to ensure that what we love about Mandurah is protected and nurtured. We all have a part to play in keeping our environment healthy and respected. 

“A huge thanks and congratulations to our local groups, organisations and businesses who work so hard to make Mandurah beautiful and help to educate our community to do the same.” 

During the event, a new tool to tackle fishing waste and help keep coastlines clean was launched and distributed to anglers, making it easier to dispose of fishing line and rubbish responsibly.  

The Tackle Back personal disposal bin is the latest project from the Tangaroa Blue Foundation’s Rig Recycle program and is supported by the City of Mandurah, Tackle World Miami, Western Australian Seabird Rescue, Estuary Guardians Peel-Harvey, Coastal Waste Warriors, and Recfishwest.

It encourages fishers to keep waterways clean by providing a convenient way to dispose of waste.   

Fishers are also able to contribute data on what they collect in their Tackle Back to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database, helping to support broader environmental efforts to track and manage marine debris. 

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said he hoped to see the new device become a standard piece of fishing gear taken on all West Aussie fishing trips.

“A clean environment underpins great fishing experiences and that’s why Recfishwest strongly supports this simple, yet effective initiative of the Tackle Back to keep our fishing spots clean,” Dr Rowland said.   

Tackle Backs are available to Mandurah residents and can be found at Tackle World Miami and Bluewater Mandurah, as well as the City of Mandurah’s Main Administration and Marina Administration buildings.

The Tackle Back personal bin. PIC: Supplied