We love our oceans
We are proud that our partnership with Clean Ocean Sailing has been such a huge success. By cleaning and reusing fishing nets that are left in the sea our Ghost Net Bracelet range has been selling out as soon as it is launched online which is seriously helping to raise the profile of this important issue and the damage humans are doing to our oceans and wildlife.
But we are not alone
All over the world people are waking up to the damage that is being done to our environment and how what we do is impacting on the wonderful world that exists in our oceans. Covid has revealed just how much damage we are doing as populations of whales, seals, dolphins and so many more are thriving with increased numbers and new whales songs being heard for the first time.
It’s not just in the water that damage is being done
How many times have you walked along the beach or coast path and seen litter strewn all around? The actions of a few are having significant impacts on our beaches and oceans and it isn’t just a recent problem. In 1867 Jules Verne wrote a graphic description about how floating debris accumulates in the Sargasso Sea in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea.
But in our life time plastic continues to be a significant issue both large pieces and micro plastics polluting not just the water in the oceans and seas but being ingested by the wildlife that lives there. Often this plastic is left on the shore and is swept into the sea where it moves with the movement of the tides and wildlife mistake it for food.
In 1997 a container full of Lego bricks fell into the sea just off the coast of Cornwall and are still washing up on shore to this day, not just in the Southwest but all over the UK. The Twitter account @legolostatsea documents their finds.
The Covid Problem
With people now allowed to be outside more and meet with friends there has been an incredible surge in litter everywhere. Some people are leaving so much mess that our beaches and countryside are almost unrecognisable and this not only impacts on the people who live there but again, it is the wildlife that suffers. Here at Yemaya HQ we are still astounded to find people leaving BBQs on the beach along with their bottles and cans.
What can I do?
It is hard not to feel angry and frustrated with the inconsiderate behaviour of a minority but we need to channel this into action and lead by example. There are a number of organisations leading the way with regular beach cleans such as The National Trust, Seawatch Foundation UK, and Surfers Against Sewage have lots of advice about organising your own beach clean on their website www.sas.org.uk .
The best thing you can do is to always take some gloves and a bag and pick up anything you find when you are out and about and put it into a bin. These small actions make a phenomenal difference when there are lots of people doing it all the time.
Don’t forget to enjoy yourself
It is important that you don’t forget to enjoy the very thing that brought you to the great outdoors in the first place. If you are on the beach take time to look around, take in the action in the rock pools, enjoy the rhythm of the waves and have fun!
