The International Coastal Clean up is nearly here and YOU can get involved and help clear our beaches and waterways of rubbish. By counting and recording what we find we can also contribute to the global database of ocean debris and increase awareness of the problem of rubbish getting into our seas. This years is an especially important year as the Vanuatu Government has announced it will ban plastics. The data from previous years clean ups has already been given to those involved in making this plan a reality. It would be really helpful to have as much new data as possible so we can demonstrate what sorts of plastics are polluting our environment to guide the policy on this very important initiative in Vanuatu. The ICC is a global effort coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. thousands of people around the world will be picking up and counting rubbish next Saturday! Vanuatu has contributed for the the last two years with events hosted by VESS.
Look out for news of our event next week in conjunction with DEPC and the Department of tourism, but even better organise you own clean up and data collection. Just follow these simple steps
- Get together a group of friends, family or work colleagues
- Choose your site: It can be anywhere where rubbish if left there could end up in the ocean: a beach, a river bank or a street where litter could be washed in to sea in the next rain storm.
- Choose a date and time. The International Coastal Clean Up is officially 16th September. But the data collected from any clean ups that take place a week before to a week after the actual ‘official’ day can be added to the database. Your effort can be any time from the 9th to the 24th September.
- Get some data sheets. You can either collect some from the VESS Office (In anchor House upstairs from Novodental and South Pacific Travel). Or you can download them. You will need one volunteer sheet for every 2 people and one coordinator sheet for your team.
- Alternatively you can download the “Clean Swell” app from the App Store and Google Play store and record your data as you go
- On the day collect the rubbish and the data and record it on the data sheets or in the app.
- Plan what to do with the rubbish afterwards – it should all be disposed of in the appropriate manner.
- Return you data sheets to VESS so your efforts can be recorded on the international database and used in the Vanuatu report which will be given to the government.
If you have any questions please call Christina on 5510026 or email vess@vanuatuconservation.com
Here is some more information about the International Coastal Clean up and if you want to find out more about the global effort click here:
