Young Activist Champions Cleaner Beaches in South Africa
In the far east, about 2,000 km beyond The Philippines lies the deepest, darkest ocean abyss known to man — the Mariana Trench. This mysterious underwater canyon is nearly 11 km deep and would comfortably swallow up the tallest mountains on Earth. In 1998, scientists photographed a plastic bag lying right at the bottom.
This shocking discovery was only brought to light in 2018 in a study[1] of deep-sea ocean debris. Since then, the world has been scrambling to improve the situation and save our seas. Governments, businesses, and everyday people are teaming up to tackle the problem head-on. A shining local example of this commitment is Save a Fishie – an inspiring non-profit started by a teenage activist.
Meet Zoë Prinsloo, the 22-Year Old Founder of Save a Fishie
Zoë Prinsloo started doing beach cleanups in Cape Town when she was just 10 years old. As a member of Girl Guides South Africa, Zoë was used to getting her hands dirty for the environment. Soon, she started running regular beach clean-ups in her community, attracting the support of local businesses and other environmental activists.
When she was sixteen, Zoë officially launched Save a Fishie – a registered non-profit company dedicated to cleaning up our beaches and preserving marine life. In 2019, Zoë was invited to attend the United Nations Youth Climate Summit in New York, and in 2023 she won the Mayor’s Medal for Conservation in the City of Cape Town.
A World Record-Breaking Beach Cleanup
In 2023, Zoë set a world record for the longest beach clean-up of 27 consecutive hours. During this mammoth task, Zoë spent two days collecting trash on Milnerton Beach in Cape Town. “It wasn’t easy, but we did it,” she told the press afterwards. The public was invited to help out during the last hour of the clean-up, and together they managed to collect 663 kg of litter from the coastline.
The litter the Save a Fishie team removed from the beach contained hundreds of broken pieces of plastic that could harm fish, sea birds, and other marine life.
A 6,000 Kilometre Coast-to-Coast Cleanup
Save a Fishie started as a way to clean up Cape Town’s beaches, but Zoë always dreamed of doing more. In 2023, with the help of many corporate sponsors and hospitality partners, the young activist completed her first coast-to-coast clean-up trip. The project was so successful, Save a Fishie ran it again in 2024.
From 1 June to 13 July 2024, Save a Fishie travelled 6,300 km cleaning up beaches and river banks in seven provinces. First, the team travelled from Cape Town to Port Nolloth, then inland along the Hennops and Jukskei Rivers, and finally down the East Coast and Garden Route.
“A big part of the trip is spreading awareness and hopefully getting communities along the way to join us,” Zoë says. Throughout the journey, the Save a Fishie team stopped at schools to speak about the environment and inspire young people to get involved. They also joined forces with organisations like the Alexandra Water Warriors, ARMOUR, and eWASA, collecting a whopping 5 tonnes of litter throughout the trip.
Where is All The Litter Coming From?
Plastic bottle caps, straws, sweet wrappers, and shopping bags are just some of the things that end up in the ocean and on our beaches. South Africa’s vast 3000 km coastline is especially susceptible to pollution, placing great responsibility on our people to keep waterways clean. A 2018 study revealed that 89% of the plastic pollution in our oceans comes from single-use products. Replacing these items with reusable alternatives is the first step towards less polluted seas.
Some single-use items Save a Fishie often finds on our beaches:
- Plastic lollipop sticks
- Plastic toothbrushes
- Plastic bottle tops
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic cigarette lighters
- Plastic straws
- Plastic cutlery
Most of the rubbish found on the beach comes from polluted rivers that carry litter downstream during heavy rains. Hence, land pollution and water pollution are undeniably connected. To reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans, we must reduce the amount of plastic litter on our streets.
Another major threat to marine life is nurdles. These are the small plastic pellets manufacturers use as raw materials to make plastic products. They are clear and round, with a diameter of 2 – 5 mm, making them very hard to spot among beach sand. Nurdles typically enter our waterways when they fall off cargo ships and trucks.
Get Involved, Save Some Fishies!
Save a Fishie is always looking for new sponsors and partners to join its mission to clean up South Africa’s beaches, lakes, and rivers. Volunteers are also always welcome at the team’s monthly beach clean-ups. To find a beach clean-up near you, send Save a Fishie an email to join their official Whatsapp Group.
You can also follow Save a Fishie on Facebook to keep up to date on their latest environmental projects or make a donation via Back-a-Buddy.
SOURCES:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17305195#f0010
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne4yNqNv25w
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17305195#f0010
