June 9th is World Oceans Day, but did you know, it’s also Coral Triangle Day, a day to celebrate this incredible bioregion, home to more marine species than anywhere else on the planet. This year, WWF, The Coral Triangle and The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI-CFF) are running an Instagram contest in a bid to reduce single use plastics which are a huge source of pollution throughout the Coral Triangle.
The 2018 Coral Triangle Day Instagram Campaign focuses on ACTION and PLEDGES, inviting people to join the #PLASTICRESISTANCE and encourage their family and friends to do the same. By doing so – you could win a dive holiday to Raja Ampat or Borneo!
For your chance to win a dive holiday, hashtag #PLASTICRESISTANCE and #CORALTRIANGLE on Instagram. Use an an image, GIF or video that demonstrates how YOU are saying NO to pointless plastics, like bags, straws, coffee cup lids, cotton buds and packaging.
Include a simple message explaining in 50 words or fewer how you are breaking up with single use plastics and nominate someone to make their own plastic pledge. The three entries judged to most powerfully communicate this message will win prizes including a 7-day dive holiday in Raja Ampat at Kri Eco Resort, Indonesia and a 3-day dive holiday in Borneo at Scuba Junkies and a Mares snorkel, mask and fin set.
People are increasingly aware of the impacts of plastic on the marine environment and the destructive wastefulness of single use plastics such as straws, coffee cup lids, cotton buds and product packaging.
Over the past few months, around the world we have seen government and big business respond, with many national and local governments banning plastic bags, and large retail chains such as Woolworths and Coles removing single-use plastic bags from circulation.
The Coral Triangle is a bioregion that encompasses the territorial waters of seven countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, PNG, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Fiji). It is a Mecca for divers and sustains much of the world’s appetite for seafood. Yet two Coral Triangle countries – Indonesia and the Philippines – rank second and third only to China when it comes to coastal plastic pollution. Globally, we humans dump around eight million tonnes of ocean into the ocean each year. And it isn’t just coastal communities, as plastic also makes its way out to sea via inland waterways. It is high time we turned the tide on ocean plastics. Last year, the UN launched its Clean Seas campaign as the world unites to end once and for all our toxic relationship with single-use plastics.
Three acclaimed photographers and environmental advocates will judge the contest, based on impact, relevance to the theme and originality. There will be three top prizes as voted by the judges and three additional prizes (Coral Triangle coffee table books) for the three images that receive the most number of likes, (excluding the top 3 prize winners).
The Coral Triangle Day #PLASTICRESISTANCE contest is working with high profile partners and sponsors including WWF, Conservation International, Mission Blue, Oceana, Matador Network, Papua Diving, Scuba Junkie and Bye-Bye Plastic Bags.
Full details can be found here
