World Ocean Day is being celebrated by several organisations this weekend, with one of the clean-ups taking place at Blue Lagoon Beach in Durban.
Durban, South Africa (09 June 2022) – To celebrate World Ocean Day, the 8th of June 2022, WILDTRUST has joined forces with the Zero Waste Foundation and several other organisations to clean the Blue Lagoon beach in Durban this weekend, the 11th of June 2022.
World Ocean Day is a day for all humanity to celebrate the ocean, which covers more than 70% of the planet. World Ocean Day reminds everyone of the significant role the ocean plays in everyday life – did you know that every second breath we take comes from the ocean?
Sadly, the ocean along the KZN coastline took quite a knock during the recent flooding, and the beaches are still littered with debris from the homes that washed away. The Blue Lagoon beach clean will address some of this tragic pollution.
The Zero Waste Foundation, supported by the DON’T WASTE GROUP, a global waste management and minimisation company, Green Corridors, People ‘n Planet and Youth4MPAs, a passionate group of young ocean advocates, are joining forces, inviting locals to join the cause and help in cleaning up the beach in honour of World Ocean Day.
All the organisations involved in this initiative are working towards protecting the South African coastline and raising awareness for the surrounding oceans.
“We currently only protect 5% of the oceans around South Africa,” said WILDTRUST Director of Communications, Lauren van Nijkerk.
“South Africa is signatory to the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) target to achieve 10% ocean protection by 2020. Although 2020 is over, the need for ocean protection remains central. Over-fishing, damaging industrial activities, habitat destruction, resource extraction, climate change and pollution are not letting up and by not protecting our oceans’ ability to keep giving what we take, we risk a biodiversity crisis, and a subsequent ocean collapse and economic catastrophe,”
For those unable to join the cleanup, you can join the movement to protect our oceans by signing a petition that calls for the Government to protect 10% of our oceans.
At the clean-up event, Y4MPAs is calling on members of the public and mobilising the youth to give 10 minutes for 10% ocean protection. As part of this call to action, Y4MPAs will be educating the public about what the 10% target means and why we need it and asking our government to support this target, calling for more ocean protection while lending a hand together with the public to clean up the beaches.
We can all do a little for the ocean this World Ocean Day! Let us know if you are heading to a beach clean-up in the comment section. You can find details for the Blue Lagoon beach clean below.
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