MEDIA RELEASE – 31st March 2010
Easter Hunt: Marine Debris Cleanup of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, south west coast
This Easter three boat loads of passionate volunteers will scour the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area hand-collecting garbage from the beaches of the rugged south west coast. Marine debris causes massive levels of pollution on our beaches and the long and painful death of huge numbers of marine life.
The cleanup has been running since 1999 and is the longest remote area baseline marine debris survey in Australia. Since it began 12 years ago, over 50,000 items of rubbish have been collected and itemised. All rubbish is sorted into recyclables with the remainder sent to landfill. The collected data* provides information regarding changes in rubbish types and amounts. When this information is combined with oceanic circulation models it helps determine where the rubbish is coming from.
This year the cleanup is run as a WILDCARE special project. WILDCARE Inc is the largest and fastest growing incorporated environmental action group in Tasmania, with membership of around 3000 individuals.
This year's cleanup is also gratefully supported by Dave Wyatt of Southern Ocean Adventures as well as other local fishermen Kent Way and Dean Hulton and a volunteer crew of 12. The outdoor clothing company Patagonia and Pennicott Wilderness Journeys are the major sponsors providing generous financial support for fuel, boat charter, food and kitting out the team with appropriate clothing. The Wursthaus Kitchen, Cascade and Gillespies Ginger Beer are also giving support to keep the crew provisioned for the week-long trip.
Follow us on the Daily Blog at : http://wha-marinedebris.blogspot.com/
Further Enquiries:
Matt Dell
Email: mattdell@tpg.com.au
Mobile: 0419 922 887
Satellite phone: 0414 649 464 from Friday 2nd of April 2010
* Statistics and photos available on the blog
Thank you for this wonderful and inspired work. As a beachwalker and boatie your efforts are hugely appreciated. I get a tiny amount of satisfaction from picking up - I'd like to get a huge buzz from stopping the rubbish getting in. It really helps to be able to show the world the results of reckless consumption and careless littering.
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