Editor,

This letter is in response to the article in the Feb. 9 PacificNW magazine in the Seattle Times about the constant beach cleaning by John Anderson.

The CLCP (Community Litter Cleanup Program) through Washington State University Extension Service on Whidbey Island cleans the public beaches (both county and state) each Tuesday of the month. We collect many of the items like flip flops, tips from cigarillos, all sizes of Styrofoam and just waste thrown overboard by boaters like Mr. Anderson collects.

But the bane of our cleanups are plastic shotgun “wads,” those spent plastic non-biodegradable, shotgun shells deposited after firing the shotguns. They are not only one more item which adds to the many collectible items that wash up on shore, these “wads” not only add to the large number of plastics already in our waters, but are harmful to the wildlife that inhabits these environments, both creatures who swim in and fly over these waters.

Many of these shotgun wads are translucent in colo. Those who feed in these waters mistake them for squid and swallow them whole. Also, the grey whales which take in the water that they swim in and process the natural food in these waters are not able to digest the shotgun wads.

Consequently, the wildlife that depend on the smaller water species and swallow these translucent “wads,” mistaking them for squid. This process causes sickness and death of both fish and bird. The sportsmen that hunt and fish in these waters are harming and killing the very wildlife they seek. And they pollute the waters which their prey inhabits, thus lessening the prey for other sportsmen to fish and hunt.

The CLCP counts the number of “wads” collected from the beaches they clean. Although the most “wads” are collected from the Whidbey Island beaches that open to the southeast or southwest, given the prevailing winds or tides, all beaches on the island are susceptible to the accumulation of “wads” that can be found on any beaches on the island.

To give you an idea of the severity of this situation, in one cleanup just on the southern section of Windjammer Beach in Oak Harbor a total of 363 “wads” were collected and in a combined effort with the U.S. Navy one Saturday, 781 “wads” were counted. In our office at the Washington State Extension Service we have what we guess to be over 6,000 “wads” collected just this year.

So what positive actions are we taking?

Our volunteer leader is working with the Washington State Fish and Wildlife department for a grant that would provide coupons for the sportsmen that buy biodegradable shotgun ammunition. These coupons would make up the difference in price of non-biodegradable ammunition, which is obviously less expensive, and biodegradable ammunition.

There is obviously a substantial learning curve here, and education of the sportsmen is essential, but also, the cooperation and partnership with the manufacturers, distributors and retailers is needed. CLCP hopes their endeavors to solve this problem will succeed.

Ned Smith

Coupeville