Join WWF’s beach clean up for Sea Week.

Join WWF’s beach clean up for Sea Week.

As part of Sea Week, WWF is cleaning up Houghton Bay on Saturday 15 March and encourages everyone to join in. The clean up starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.

WWF strongly encourages anyone who can’t attend to organise their own local beach clean up. “It’s so important to keep our beaches clean because the rubbish can be harmful to marine life” says Conservation Director, Chris Howe. “There have been many examples of dolphins getting caught in plastic bags and entangled in discarded fishing gear. Dolphins are naturally inquisitive creatures”, he says.

WWF commends anyone that gets involved in Sea Week, and hopes that they can continue to help keep our beaches clean all year round.

One of WWF’s priorities in New Zealand is the protection of our marine environment. Currently we are supporting an independent marine biodiversity assessment. There are many gaps in our knowledge of marine life. “Outside scientific circles there are many little known amazing facts, for example, over half of New Zealand’s rockpool fish only occur in New Zealand. So if you see a rockpool fish when you’re on the beach it may be that it occurs nowhere else in the world”, says Chris Howe.

“The assessment provides for the first time a comprehensive strategic summary of our marine biodiversity. Information that comes from the biodiversity assessment will be used to help further develop our marine programme priorities”, says Chris Howe.

WWF strongly supports national Sea Week and hopes that everyone can get involved.

If you would like to help with the Houghton Bay clean up, please contact Carolyn England on (04) 499 2930.

© Scoop Media