Worlds Oceans Day provides an opportunity to honour, help protect, and conserve the ocean.
The event has been unofficially celebrated since its original proposal in 1992, by the Canadian Government, during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, receiving official recognition by the United Nations in late 2008. US-based non-profit organisation The Ocean Project, working in partnership with leading organisations from all sectors, including the World Ocean Network, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and many others in its network of 2,000 organisations, has been promoting World Oceans Day since 2002 and, together with World Ocean Network, led the three-year global petition movement to secure official UN recognition.
The conservation action theme of Worlds Oceans Day 2019 was ‘Gender and the Ocean’. Focusing on sustainable consumption of marine products, to the role of science and chefs as influencers, to the consumption habits of the population, as well as the female chefs committed to the cause in a predominantly masculine profession, this years’ Worlds Oceans Day highlighted the efforts of our Earths’ champions; especially of the female variety.
We at Spectrum FM have previously launched our campaign Pick Up 3, Keep Our Oceans Plastic Free and partnered with Plastic Free Seas Worldwide, organising beach clean ups across the Costa del Sol.
In 2017, founder Craig Webb introduced a monthly beach clean program, Plastic Free Seas Worldwide, that aimed to rid the Costa del Sol of harmful waste and plastics through volunteer efforts. Plastic Free Seas Worldwide held its first beach clean in 2017 at Torrenueva; fifteen volunteers attended and 120 kilogrammes of plastic were collected. After a few months, Plastic Free Seas had over 50 volunteers at every event. In October 2018, Plastic Free Seas recorded, so far, that 7,500 pounds of plastic had been removed due to their collective beach cleans. However, in 2019, the number of volunteers and pounds of collected plastics have just kept growing.
This Worlds Oceans Day, as well as last years’, Plastic Free Seas Worldwide, in conjunction with Spectrum FM, saw hundreds of volunteers turn out to collect over 500kg of rubbish from Cabopino Beach on the Costa del Sol. Teams from across the world also spent their Worlds Oceans Day cleaning their respective beaches. A community organised group in the Philippines joined Plastic Free Seas Worldwide in their Worlds Oceans Day cleanup, focusing on Opol beach. Many volunteers turned up to clear their beautiful beach of harmful plastics and rubbish.
The crew from Diving With Nic turned out to assist in the clean up this year. Using their qualified diving certifications, the dedicated eco-warriors helped assist the massive group of volunteers in cleaning up the beaches of Cabopino, as well as its’ waters. Families and children were also welcomed, seeing the youngest generation of eco-warriors walk away with a certificate of their efforts, with smiles all around.
How will we, together, continue to celebrate World Oceans Day 2020? To find an event near you, visit Worlds Oceans Day Events.
To see the progress of Plastic Free Seas Worldwide and Spectrum FM’s efforts, and to find out how you can help keep our oceans beautiful and healthy, visit your favourite Spectrum FM Facebook page or Plastic Free Seas Worldwide for upcoming beach cleans and more information.
And remember, next time you find yourself at one of our beautiful beaches, lakes, or rivers, challenge yourself to pick up just three items of rubbish. Every little counts!
To see our previous efforts, click the links below…
Cheers To A Plastic Free Sea 2019
Olivia’s Night Of Entertainment
Thank you to everyone who participated and wished to participate.
See you next year at Worlds Oceans Day 2020!
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