Montague Island Cleanup

3-year project with Gulf of Alaska Keeper to remove large derelict fishing gear and creosote treated lumber

The Gulf of Alaska and its environs provide rich habitat for commercial fishing, subsistence activities, and wildlife. Montague Island sits in the Gulf of Alaska, and its shores collect an abundance of marine debris from all over the world, brought by churning currents of the Pacific. This project will remove marine debris from 74-tidal miles (119 kilometers) of shoreline suffering from some of the worst marine debris accumulation in the nation. Montague Island’s shore is blanketed with up to 30 tons of marine debris per shoreline mile.

To assist with removal, we are seeking volunteers to participate in the 2025 cleanup season on Montague Island.

This trip will not be for everyone—the remote nature of Montague and the strenuous work involved with marine debris removal requires many risks to individuals. To understand the scope of the project and the risks involved, we urge you to read the entirety of this page before registering to volunteer.

Montague Island’s Gulf of Alaska coast has 10 to 30 tons of plastic marine debris per mile. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Derelict nets are broken down by UV and rugged shores, eventually abrading into countless micro fibers. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

The island’s log berms extend the entire 74-mile tidal length of its Gulf of Alaska shore. The berms can extend over ½ mile in depth. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Montague’s coast is exceedingly difficult and dangerous to land on with a vessel. The northern half is barriered by treacherous, uncharted, jagged reefs. The portions of the southern region that aren’t protected by reefs have extensive shallow sand flats. Along with the area’s extreme tides and ocean swells, any approach by vessel is extremely hazardous. These constraints require that we remove all marine debris collected on the Island’s coast by helicopter sling. It also necessitates, for both safety and efficiency, that all cleanup workers be transported to and from the shore by helicopter.

Process of Removal

None of the Montague Island marine debris is easily removed. While much of the lightweight plastic can be collected by hand, even that is very difficult to move offshore without the aid of helicopters and a tug-towed barge. Massive nets, line bundles, heavy treated timbers, and multitudes of other large heavy objects can be removed only with the aid of helicopters.

During removal operations, workers move down the coast collecting loose marine debris, either placing it in super sacks or stringing it together with line recovered from the shore. That debris is then cached in protected locations away from surf and storms. All the heavy debris will be marked and geolocated for later removal.

Helicopters are necessary for access to Montague Island’s Gulf of Alaska shoreline. Heavy surf and treacherous reefs make approach from the water very dangerous. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Extracting an old line and net bundle from the Montague log berm. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

4000-feet by 1.5-inch High Pressure Gas Line. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Removing a deeply embedded line from the Montague Island shoreline. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Extracting nets buried by sand is strenuous and tedious work. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Helicopter removal of massive line bundles. Photo courtesy of GoAK.

Project Length

The 2025 cleanup season will run for 13 consecutive weeks, beginning June 6th, 2025. Each week will consist of a new volunteer crew overseen by Gulf of Alaska Keeper (GoAK).

Each crew will depart from Whittier, Alaska on Friday, and return to Whittier the following Friday. Volunteers should expect 9-hour work days while on site.

Personnel Requirements

Due to the dangerous nature of the work, GoAK has mandated specific requirements for their volunteers:

Must be over 18 years old
No alcohol/drugs/tobacco
Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds
All participants will contribute to daily cooking and cleanup.

Accommodations for the trip and all meals will be on board a support vessel. No cooking or camping will be on-shore. Project funding will cover a stock of wholesome food for participants. You are welcome to bring additional food to support your dietary needs.

Application Process

Registering to volunteer does not guarantee your ability to volunteer on a Montague Island cleanup. After registration, prospective volunteers will be required to attend virtual orientation meetings over Zoom with project leaders in early 2025. If you are cleared, additional documentation may be required to participate.

You will be contacted directly by project leaders to schedule these virtual orientation meetings.

Keepers of the North

This film features a Gulf of Alaska Keeper cleanup in Gore Point. See the scope of GoAK’s work with large-scale marine debris cleanups in Alaska, and get a sense of what these cleanups look like.