- Özgür Töre
A ‘Plastic Ocean Arch’ was recently erected in Victoria, Seychelles to showcase the harsh reality of ocean pollution.
The Ocean Project Seychelles, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in November 2016, has been actively raising awareness of plastic pollution, by hosting regular beach clean-ups around the beaches of Seychelles.
A total of 10.56 tonnes of rubbish had been recently collected from an expedition by the team to eight of the Outer Islands of Seychelles, some of which was used to create the arch.
The art piece certainly showcases the implications of surmounting marine debris, and gives an insight to what it might feel like for sea creatures to have their natural habitat taken over by plastic. It is hoped that the initiative will encourage people to be more conscious about their plastic consumption, and to make the switch from disposable plastic items for reusable alternatives.
Alain St.Ange, the island's former Tourism Minister and now Leader of the "One Seychelles" political party took time to see the 'Plastic Ocean Arch' and says that he wishes to re-echoe the sentiments made that:-
"In 2020, we continue to brand Seychelles as the picture-perfect destination, but more of us need to poke our heads under water to see what is truly going on. We must listen to our local scientists whose cries are falling on deaf ears. We must actively choose to minimize our contributions to the global problem, and to maximize efforts nationally to combat pollution before it is too late for our vulnerable marine life".
