AUSTRALIA’S leading recreational fishing charity, OzFish Unlimited, is taking it up a notch this Clean Up Australia Day, Sunday 5 March, by getting the recreational fishing community involved in more than 23 events across the country.
OzFish has a proud history of supporting Clean Up Australia Day calling on more than four million-strong recreational fishers in Australia to step up and help clean up rubbish along Australia’s rivers, creeks, estuaries and beaches.
Recent years have seen the national cleanup day disrupted by droughts, fires, lockdowns, and floods, consequently OzFish has big things planned for 2023.
Craig Copeland, OzFish Founder and CEO, believes Clean Up Australia Day has an important part to play in raising awareness of environmental issues among Australians and encouraging them to take direct action.
“When litter is dropped on land, the wind and rain carry it to our waterways where it is very difficult to remove. We’ve seen this recently in places like the Macquarie River which is clogged with debris from recent flooding,” said Mr Copeland.
“That’s why Clean Up Australia Day is so important to our members and supporters, they see first-hand the impact litter has on our waterways.
“The power of people collaborating to achieve a common goal cannot be underestimated and there are few goals as important as addressing pollution and rubbish in Australia’s waterways”, said Craig.
OzFish’s Clean Up Australia Day events will take place in 5 states and have people getting involved from more than 23 OzFish chapters. Just some of the events planned include:
Sydney Harbour, NSW
Volunteers will remove litter from the harbourside along Watsons Bay and sort the debris to inform research being done to determine the best way to combat marine litter in the area, followed by refreshments at the Watsons Bay Hotel.
Murray River, Nyah, VIC
Boaters and land-based volunteers will travel up the lower Murray River which has only recently recovered from flooding to help clean up debris from flooding.
Busselton Jetty, WA
Divers and recreational fishers will collect rubbish above and below the water to clean up rubbish around the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere.
Coorong, SA
4WDrivers and campers will take part in cleaning up one of Australia’s iconic beaches and be part of one of the largest clean-ups in the country
Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island, QLD
Residents and volunteers will gather at Sylvan Beach to collect rubbish that has gathered in Moreton Bay.
Interested attendees can register their interest for the events at: https://ozfish.org.au/event/clean-up-australia-day-2023-march-2023/?swcfpc=1
