On World Oceans Day on the 8th of June 2018, a coalition of organisations including WILDOCEANS (a programme of the WILDTRUST), Ocean Unite, WWF South Africa, Centre for Environmental Rights and the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), united to advance the protection of the oceans around South Africa within Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) and … [Read more...]
Groundbreaking plastic upcycling invention to launch in SA
Imagine if all South Africa’s unrecycled plastic waste, at 1 100 000 million tons per year, could create thousands of jobs, clean our environment and help build our houses, hospitals, schools and roads. Don Thompson, the CEO of The Center of Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC), is about to make this a reality. He is the inventor of a process that can turn any … [Read more...]
Ring-fence the plastic bag levy to fight plastic pollution
Nobody is more disgusted at plastic pollution than those of us who work in the plastics industry. It is distressing to see our products washed up on beaches and littering the landscape. But the call to ban plastic products is a simplistic response to a complex problem. What’s required is a rational solution to the genuine crisis of plastic pollution, not an emotional … [Read more...]
Celebrating achievements of women for a healthy planet
Today’s International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Women worldwide have already changed the world for good, and play a vital role in the transformation to a fairer, just and more sustainable world. The World Future Council is working to pass on a healthy planet and fair societies to our children and … [Read more...]
Wild Oceans to investigate critical shark habitat and movements
Recently the Wild Oceans Research Vessel, RV Angra Pequena, carrying a team of researchers and marine students, set sail to Protea Banks on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in order to retrieve telemetry receivers previously deployed in the area. The retrieval of these receivers will give us the ability to investigate the movements of tagged sharks and highlight the importance … [Read more...]
Which party to vote for our children?
Our short month ends with political parties’ manifestos being published for all to see. First thing I look for has to be how will they preserve our habitat so that our and all children can make a future here? No matter how much the focus zones into other matters, if we don’t have sufficient and clean water, food and renewable energy all that talk will be wasted, for we … [Read more...]
Youth-focused project strives for ocean protection
Climate change and pollution is a global issue and has a significant impact on the ocean. Conserving marine and coastal ecosystems is essential. Global issues tend to bring together like-minded projects spanning across continents. One such project is the Bremen-Durban Marine Environmental Education Network also known as Ocean Champs. This project is jointly implemented by … [Read more...]
Fish Hoek beachgoers advised to respect elephant seal moulting
The City of Cape Town and the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) have received reports regarding the harassment of an elephant seal moulting on Fish Hoek beach. They advised residents and visitors on Wednesday that this is a natural process and asked that all beachgoers respect the seal and give the animal space while it is ashore, staying at least 10 metres … [Read more...]
Join thousands around the world for the Great Nurdle Hunt
Wild Oceans is excited to be taking part in what will see more than a thousand people spanning 6 continents joining in on a worldwide search for tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) in the first Great Nurdle Hunt taking place from the 8th till the 17th of February. The hunt is taking place on 6 continents in over 16 countries, with more than 60 organisations and 170 individual … [Read more...]
NGO gathers data on endangered sharks in KZN
A team of dedicated volunteer advanced divers embarked on a citizen science project over December and January at Protea Banks (KwaZulu-Natal South Coast), in the hopes of gathering valuable data linked to the endangered scalloped hammerhead shark. The project, an initiative of WILDOCEANS a leading NGO, set out to count a reported aggregation of scalloped hammerhead sharks in … [Read more...]
Paper-stemmed earbuds help reduce ocean plastic
Do you know that ear buds are one of the top ocean polluters which we pick up during beach clean-ups? Hence the following good news is so welcome: Woolworths has kick started the year with its latest announcement in its journey to ZERO packaging waste to landfill, with the roll out of Woolworths branded paper-stemmed earbuds. Switching to paper-stemmed earbuds might seem … [Read more...]
International cleanup reveals SA’s biggest beach pollutants
The results of the 2018 International Coastal Clean-up, which took place on Saturday, 15 September 2018, have just been released. “For more than two decades, thousands of South African volunteers have been joining the rest of the world on the third Saturday of September to remove, collect and document the litter from our country’s coastlines. During the 2018 event, 19,563 … [Read more...]
IUCN lists 15 new sites as world’s best protected areas
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has admitted 15 new natural sites to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas – the first global standard recognising best practice in protected areas. Sites in Egypt, France, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru and the United Arab Emirates received the certification today at the ongoing UN Biodiversity … [Read more...]
