The Tangaroa Blue crew have just arrived back from a big season in Cape York and are preparing for the inaugural Great Barrier Reef Clean-up kicking off on 17 October in Townsville and closer to home at Cape Kimberley on Saturday 24 October.

More clean-ups will then occur the following weekend (24-25 October) in other coastal locations stretching from Cape York to Bundaberg.

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The Great Barrier Reef Clean-up is delivered by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority with funding through Reef Trust and in partnership with the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Eco Barge and local Reef Guardian Councils.

Marine debris can harm marine life, pose a navigational hazard and smother coral. Turtles and dugongs can become entangled in marine debris like nets, or ingest marine debris such as small plastic pieces and bags when they mistake them for prey. Plastic can also absorb other potentially toxic chemicals. 

Debris can enter through natural and main made waterways like drains and eventually make its way out to sea and into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Tangaroa Blue is involved in various projects on a government level to reduce the occurrence of marine debris, one of them being the Marine Debris Threat Abatement Plan: This document formulates ways to address, reduce and solve the problem on a national level.

Every five years this plan undergoes a review and Tangaroa Blue has been part of that process, adding knowledge and evidence from data collected by volunteers during beach and river clean-ups to assist in practical ways of implementing source reduction strategies that stop marine debris from occurring.

The Australian Government is working to revise the national marine debris plan to limit the damage that plastic and other waste products cause to Australia’s marine life.

Heidi Taylor Managing Director from Tangaroa Blue Foundation said they are expecting a good turn up.  

"This is a good opportunity to clean up sites that may have missed out during the Great Northern Clean-up.  Plus it is a really good time of the year for the clean-up before the wet season washes any debris into the waterways,” said Ms Taylor.

The clean-up in the Douglas Shire will take place at Cape Kimberley on Saturday 24th October

Join volunteers from across Queensland this October and help reduce marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

For further information visit: Tangaroa Blue Events Great Barrier Reef Clean Up