Cape Town - If you love South Africa's incredible seas, you need to join the Two Oceans Aquarium beach cleanup at Soetwater Resort, Kommetjie on Saturday 17 September as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The International Coastal Cleanup initiative was started in 1986 and has since grown into a global initiative. It aids not only in cleaning up the world's oceans, but also helps to detailing data about what type of pollution we face.
Volunteers are issued with data cards and each item collected is recorded on these cards. After this worldwide event, the global data is collated.
Eight hundred thousand volunteers collected more than 8 million kilograms of trash during last year’s cleanup. The most collected items were cigarette butts followed by plastic beverage bottles. Plastic shopping bags were number eight on the list of most collected items.
Two Oceans says, our "It is estimated that 270 000 tonnes of plastic is floating on the surface of the ocean. The statistics become even more frightening when one looks at the animal life being affected by ocean pollution. 90% of all sea birds have ingested plastic and 700 marine species are threatened by ocean plastic. Furthermore 80% of the pollution found in the ocean, originates from land.
The oceans have become garbage dumps for humans," they say.
Katja Rockstroh, Education Operations Co-ordinator at the Two Oceans Aquarium and the organizer of the Aquarium’s cleanup on 17 September says, “Plastic pollution is a daunting problem, because once you see it, you see it everywhere. I firmly believe in the power of the individual, because a beach cleanup doesn’t just clean a beach but slowly changes the mind-set of individuals about their relationship with plastic.”
You can support International Coastal Cleanup Day by joining the Two Oceans Aquarium in cleaning up Soetwater Resort. Where: Kommetjie When: From 10:00 to 12:00 on Saturday 17 SeptemberCost: Without a voucher, a R12 entry fee will applyNOTE: Volunteers will meet at the resort’s conference centre. Gloves, bags and data cards will be supplied. Please bring your own water, sunscreen and a hat. For further information and to request your free entry voucher to the resort, contact Katja Rockstroh on +27 (21) 418 38 23 or email her.
The first 100 Aquarium members to arrive on the day will receive a free gift, and there’ll be a lucky draw for everyone who attends. The Aquarium’s mobile puppet show will also be making an appearance!
A photo posted by OceanCleanUp (@oceancleanup1111) on Sep 13, 2016 at 8:04am PDT
What to read next on Traveller24:
- WATCH: Whoa! Divers rescue floundering sunfish from Cape Town harbour
- #WorldOceansDay: How you can make a responsible seafood choice
- PICS: World Oceans Day photo contest winners leave us inspired