25kg of fishing nets collected at our first Praslin clean up!

On Saturday 24th February, our team hopped aboard a twin-otter headed for Praslin, to put on our first ever Praslin beach clean up! 

Collaborating with the Nature Seychelles' Reef Rescuers, our Praslin clean up saw the participation of an enthusiastic and environmentally-conscious group of young students from the eco-clubs of the Vijay International School Praslin (VISP) (Vallée de Mai Club for primary school-aged students, and the Eco-Friendly Club for secondary school-aged students).

Geared with their own reusable water bottles, our volunteers set out on Amitié beach, and close to 60kg of litter. Litter collected included the usual suspects: 11kg of clothing, 20+ plastic bottles, approximately 4kg of hard and soft plastic bits, and handfuls of plastic bottle tops, plastic straws and stirrers, plastic cups and cutlery, balloons and ribbons, and cigarette butts. Other items included slippers, glass bottles, metal cans, metal bottle tops and foam insulation and packaging. For the first time, over 25kg of fishing nets were also collected! 

A big thank you to the students, their parents and teachers and to our partner, Nature Seychelles, for welcoming us to Praslin! We have no doubt that this VISP bunch will continue to challenge their inner "happy cleaner" and pick up any debris they find on their visits to the beach and inspire others to do so. We hope that this will be the start of more clean ups on Praslin and beyond! 

Did you know? 

Abandoned fishing nets pose a considerable risk to the environment and marine life. Fishing nets can travel long distances from their points of origin and can remain in the ocean long after they are discarded, resulting in the entrapment and death of marine mammals, sea birds and fish.