Unalaska, AK – The Marine Conservation Alliance is hoping to extend their marine debris clean-up program to Unalaska next month. Project coordinator Bob King said the program aims to clear the island of the fishing and shipping industry detritus that washes up by the ton on the beaches of this and other coastal communities.

King was in Unalaska last week, identifying potential sites for future clean-up. His organization, which is made up primarily of members of the fishing industry and fishing communities, operates the cleanup program on a federal government contract. The M-C-A began doing similar work in the Pribilof Islands several years ago, where it now oversees annual cleanups this year's netted an estimated 20 tons of debris on St. Paul Island alone. Similar projects have taken place in other coastal areas around the state, including Prince William Sound and Sitka.

King said that the idea for the Unalaska cleanup originated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA observers first identified the problem in Unalaska when they were monitoring the wreck of the Selendang Ayu freighter, which ran aground on the island in late 2004.

The project is currently in the assessment phase. Pending final approval, the actual clean-up could begin in August. MCA is hoping to hire locals to do the actual beachcombing King says the project could create about a dozen temporary jobs, and that local contractors and the Ounalashka Corporation have expressed interest.