Welcome!





























Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i (B.E.A.C.H.) is an all volunteer, non-profit organization that brings awareness and solutions to the problem of marine debris on Hawai`i's beaches through:
  • Environmental Education
  • Marine Debris Removal and Research
  • Plastic Reduction and Litter Prevention Campaigns

in order to inspire actions by individuals and the community that will reduce and prevent plastic marine debris resulting in protection for Hawai`i's marine life, sea birds and the ocean/coastal environment.

Visit our About B.E.A.C.H. page for more information.

Wherever you are in the world, you can help us with this international problem of marine debris by becoming a member of B.E.A.C.H. today - click here for more information


Ala Moana Beach is now a smoke-free beach
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed Bill 72 on Monday 8th April, 2013 making Ala Moana the 2nd smoke-free beach on O`ahu after Hanauma Bay which became smoke-free 20 years ago in 1993. Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i is supporting a new bill to ban smoking at all beaches on O`ahu. B.E.A.C.H. also supported Bill 72.

"City Council committee OKs islandwide smoking ban", Honolulu Star Advertiser, Wednesday 24th April, 2013

"Measure would ban smoking at all city parks and beaches", Honolulu Star Advertiser, Thursday 11th April, 2013


SAVE SEA TURTLES - USE ORGANIC COTTON PRODUCE BAGS

photo: © Ron Prendergast
photo: © B.E.A.C.H.

B.E.A.C.H. is continuing to raise awareness of the harm of plastic bags to sea turtles and is providing a solution to this problem through encouraging use of reusable cotton produce bags in addition to reusable shopping bags. For more information about this plastic bag reduction campaign, click here.

B.E.A.C.H. is offering a free gift of a set of 3 reusable cotton produce bags as a membership gift this year for new and renewing members. For the membership form and information, click here.
Suzanne Frazer and Dean Otsuki, Co-Founders of Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i received the 2012 Astrid and Donald Monson Community Action Award from the League of Women Voters of Honolulu Education Fund at an award celebration in Waikiki on Sunday 10th February, 2013. The award was given to Suzanne and Dean for their outstanding community service and contributions to protecting Hawai`i's environment and marine life.
Helen Griffin (centre) from the League of Women Voters of Honolulu made the presentation of the award to Suzanne Frazer (left) and Dean Otsuki (right)

"Midweek article on B.E.A.C.H. co-founders, Suzanne Frazer and Dean Otsuki", Midweek, Wednesday 17th April, 2013



Photo: © Robert Shallenberger		 NEW COLOURS NOW AVAILABLE
Reusable Bamboo Utensil Sets
Help protect Hawai`i's sea birds by using reusable utensils instead of plastic ones.

B.E.A.C.H. resuable bamboo utensil sets are now available from B.E.A.C.H. and SoulTrex at Windward Mall and make great Christmas gifts. Click here for more information.


Radiation and marine debris

All of the marine debris that Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i (B.E.A.C.H.) uses for educational purposes was collected well before the 2011 tsunami in Japan and does not have radiation. Also all of the marine debris that B.E.A.C.H. volunteers are sorting was collected prior to September 2012 when the first items of tsunami debris were found in Hawai`i.

Unfortunately there has been no testing for radiation by the Hawai`i State Department of Health (the department responsible for monitoring radiation) on the beaches on O`ahu and Hawai`i islands that are known for the largest accumulations of marine debris on those islands and there's been no testing at all on any beach on the islands of Lana`i, Moloka`i, Ni`ihau and Kaho`olawe (which also have beaches that accumulate marine debris). Therefore there is no information on radiation for these beaches. Any item on beaches that accumulate marine debris can have radiation.

To learn more about the issues concerning radiation from Japan, please click here.



Photo: © James Watt		 Protecting sea turtles and marine life from harmful plastics: Plastic bags to be banned on the island of Hawai`i in 2013

Hawai`i County Mayor Kenoi signed Bill 17 banning plastic shopping bags into law on Tuesday 17th January, 2012. The law will take effect in 2013. B.E.A.C.H. supported the bill by sending in testimony.

A ban on plastic shopping bags took effect on 11th January, 2011 on the islands of Maui, Lana`i and Moloka`i. The bans on O`ahu and Kaua`i are unfortunately not bans as they are allowing bags made of plastic (with an additive) still to be used which is not a ban at all.

Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i has been at the forefront of the effort to educate the public in Hawai`i about the harm caused by plastic bags to sea turtles and marine life and has led the way in providing and encouraging people to use reusable bags. B.E.A.C.H. helped the first grocery store in Hawai`i to go plastic bag free, and supported interisland, local and state bills to ban plastic bags. B.E.A.C.H.'s plastic bag reduction campaign has been ongoing since 2007.



Sundance Film Festival
Brita Filter For Good Film Project winner, January 2011: "Plastic Tide"
Short film about the problem of marine debris in Hawai`i interviewing B.E.A.C.H. co-founder Suzanne Frazer at Kahuku Beach.

"Bag It" documentary
Award winning film about plastic shopping bags, single use disposable plastic products, plastic in our oceans, environment and how chemicals from plastic end up in our bodies. Click here for a screening near you.


"Salty Sandcrab" webcomic (click below)







Coral Photograph Credit to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce and Dr. James P. McVey. Dolphins, Japanese Angelfish, Green turtle, and Laysan Albatross photos by James Watt. Humpback whale photo by James Mobeley

Unless noted otherwise, the contents of this website are Copyright © 2006-2013 B.E.A.C.H. Please ask permission before using any text, graphics or photographs from this website.
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