Positive Change for Marine Life, with support from Mullum Cares, Go Sea Kayak, Byron Bay Eco Cruises and Kayaks and The Cookie Shack Byron Bay are teaming up this winter to keep the sea litter free by hosting the inaugural Mullum to Bruns River Clean Up.
‘A lot of litter makes its way to the sea from rural towns along the coast, especially during heavy rains and flooding as we saw a few months ago in the Byron Shire,’ explained Marie Paquette, the Byron Bay Coordinator for Positive Change for Marine Life.
‘Our aim is to mitigate the impact that marine debris has on the marine park whilst ensuring that we do our bit to change people’s attitudes when it comes to waste. This clean-up will uncover what really makes its way from our streets into the sea and we hope to raise awareness while also doing our bit for ocean ecosystems,’ she said.
Kurt Tutt of Go Sea Kayaks will be collecting the trash from paddlers and council will collect and sort what’s found once it makes its way to Brunswick Heads. He runs kayak tours on the river and in the Bay and has seen first-hand the impact that trash is having on local marine life.
‘Having lived in the Shire and being in or on the sea in some form since I was a kid, I’ve seen turtles, dolphins and even whales suffering from becoming entangled in debris or getting sick as a result of ingesting it. I’m excited to be able to give back and also educate tourists who take part in our tours to think about their impact on the sea and how they can take steps in their everyday lives to make a difference,’ he said.
Positive Change for Marine Life have been running their Honour the Ocean campaign consistently in Byron Bay since 2012 and have collected over 400,000 pieces of debris to date.
The clean-up will take place this Saturday August 5 departing from Heritage Park boat ramp at 9am and concluding around 1pm at Banner Park in Brunswick Heads.
There are 11 double kayaks for hire for $20 each, with all proceeds going back to Positive Change for Marine Life’s local Honour the Ocean campaign. RSVP for free tickets and kayak hire via Eventbrite or check out Positive Change for Marine Life on Facebook for more info.
