24-Hour Global Beach Clean Event

This World Oceans Day (Saturday 8 June), global marine conservation charity, the SEA LIFE Trust will launch its biggest clean-up mission yet – a 24-hour beach clean event starting in New Zealand and ending in California. The 24-hour event will be hosted across 50 different SEA LIFE attractions including SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, which is hosting a clean-up at Hatfields Beach from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

It is estimated that 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans each year and that by 2050, the oceans could have more plastic than fish.

Most of the littered plastic waste worldwide ultimately ends up at sea. The litter washing up on our local shores is not just unpleasant to look at; it also harms and kills our precious wildlife. Hundreds of species of marine wildlife including seals, seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages.

“The SEA LIFE Trust 24-Hour Global Beach Clean is an incredible opportunity for people to join forces and make a positive impact on our oceans. We are uniting with other SEA LIFE attractions around the globe to make a real difference on World Oceans Day,” said Daniel Henderson, General Manager at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s.   

Daniel concludes: "We are encouraging people to get involved and do their part to help reduce plastic waste ending up in our oceans. At SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s we are passionate about enacting positive change within the community and strive toward a world where marine habitats and wildlife are protected and conserved.”

SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s is appealing for volunteers to lend a hand on Saturday 8 June at Hatfields Beach, a 40-minute drive north of Auckland. You can find more information about how you and your family can become part of the activities on SEA LIFE Trust NZ’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sealifetrustnz/  .

The 24 hours of beach cleaning will be captured in photos with camera partner Olympus who are asking volunteers to take pictures and post their best ‘clean-up’ pictures on social media using hashtag #24HourGlobalBeachClean. These pictures will be used as a great reference point for what waste is found where and with the added benefit that each post using the hashtag will be entered into a competition to win a brand new Olympus Tough T5 camera.

The SEA LIFE Trust champions the need for seas which are properly protected, free from plastic pollution, and full of diverse life. This year, as well as focusing on plastic pollution and the 24-hour global beach clean, the charity will make ground-breaking steps for previously captive cetaceans by opening the world-first SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland.

The New Zealand leg of the 24-Hour Global Beach Clean will take place on Saturday 8 June from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Hatfields Beach, Hibiscus Coast Highway, Auckland.

#24HourGlobalBeachClean