Absolute Seychelles 2019

The project encompasses much more than just a beach clean-up, the

volunteers have been fundraising to cover the costs of the project,

whilst also raising awareness locally and globally on the huge impact

of marine pollution. During this unique expedition the volunteers

will be collecting trash from all the different areas of Aldabra, even

the most remote sites and the waste will be split into categories with

some items such as flip flops, plastic bottles, glass bottles, fishing

buoys and rope collected separately in slings and gunny bags and sent

to Mahé where further segregation will take place. With the aim of

re-using and re-purposing the waste, items like buoys will be given

to organisations operating at sea, especially conservation-oriented

ones based in Seychelles, as well as involving local and international

processors to find out whether plastic can be baled and reused. A

whole operation will be underway to make sure that as much waste

was possible isn’t landfilled, and in the most creative way, SIF hope to

create art pieces and other exhibits from plastic, particularly flip flops

which are hard to recycle.

To date, beach surveys have identified 73 brands with products

washed ashore on Aldabra and it was found that a 100 metre stretch

of Aldabra beach, during the northwest season, receives on average

five kilograms of marine debris daily! Moreover these surveys have

indicated that while flip flops, lighters and drink bottles are the

most numerous items being washed on to Aldabra, fishing gear

(ropes, nets and buoys) is the most prominent form marine debris by

weight. More information on the quantity, composition, source of this

marine debris as well as the effort needed to remove it will be made

available after the expedition through our social media platforms

(@AldabraCleanup) and more official channels. It is our hope that

this research will inform individual choices as well corporate and

governmental policies to make the necessary changes. Ultimately,

the Aldabra Clean-Up Project will provide a baseline for future

and further actions on top of being an example of what a group of

committed young people can accomplish together.

http://www.sif.sc

http://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/aldabra

Action

on Plastic

Pollution

To date, beach surveys

have identified 73

brands with products

washed ashore on

Aldabra and it was

found that a 100 metre

stretch of Aldabra beach,

during the northwest

season, receives on

average five kilograms of

marine debris daily!

ABSOLUTE