NZ Government Joins UN Clean Seas Campaign

“New Zealand has become the latest country to sign up to the five-year long United Nations Environment #CleanSeas campaign to rid our oceans of plastic,” reports Australian sailing publication My Sailing.  “Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage signed up to the campaign, supported by the Volvo Ocean Race, at the Volvo Pavilion in the Race Village in Auckland on Monday.”

“New Zealand is proud to be joining this campaign to stop plastic polluting our seas,” said Sage.

“Scientists estimate that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastics in the ocean today. If nothing changes then plastic in oceans will weigh more than all the fish that live in them by 2050.”

“By signing up to the Clean Seas campaign, we are making it clear that New Zealand wants to be part of the solution to this problem. We are taking steps to prevent litter entering our oceans by hitting it at its source on land.”

“At the event, Sage met Kiwi sailor Bianca Cook, from the Turn the Tide on Plastic boat, which promotes the UN’s #CleanSeas pledge.” As part of the Volvo Ocean Race Science Programme which is supported by Volvo Cars “the boat is collecting information on salinity, dissolved CO2, algae and microplastic levels as they travel through some of the world’s remotest oceans.”

“It’s exciting to have New Zealand join us in the fight against marine litter,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “By joining the Clean Seas campaign, they are showing great support from a vitally important region and we hope more nations will follow.”

“The United Nations Environment launched the Clean Seas campaign in February 2017 with the aim of encouraging governments, businesses and individuals to join the fight against marine plastic litter.”

To read more about the campaign, please click here.

Article Source: My Sailing, March 13, 2018
Image Source: Twitter – Volvo Ocean Race