Winston Churchill’s quote describes the spirit that has driven The SeaCleaners over the past two years, which have been marked by an unprecedented global health crisis and profound economic, political and social turmoil.
The last 24 months have forced us to radically reinvent the way we fulfill our missions: no more events and festivals to reach out to the public and raise awareness. No more professional meetings to present the MANTA. No more friendly moments with our volunteers, so essential to build our actions in the field and engage new supporters.
Throughout this period, our compass has been the constant adaptation to circumstances and events. And, finally, a look in the rear-view mirror shows that this unprecedented period has made us evolve, grow and broaden our horizons.
2021 has been an overactive year for The SeaCleaners. We have continued to expand on new fronts in order to answer one single question: “Where should we focus our efforts to most effectively combat plastic pollution?” The answer has been many:
- Of course, The MANTA, of which we presented the latest advances in our March newsletter. The technological progress has been massive to make this giant of the seas the most complete pollution mitigation tool possible. Today, we are proud to present a project that is more accomplished, comprehensive and attractive than ever.
- The launch of the MOBULA 8, our multi-purpose cleanup boat dedicated to calm waters, to act upstream of ocean pollution, as close as possible to the sources of waste, capable of cleaning up to 18 km² and nearly 6 tons of waste per year.
- Our presence as a major player in public awareness, through massive digital deployment, creation and distribution of new tools.
- The creation of a new operational hub to implement appropriate field actions in the areas of the world most affected by the scourge of plastic pollution, in partnership with local actors, and to fulfill our mission of international solidarity.
- Decentralization of our voluntary actions, with the development of regional delegations to act as close as possible to the needs of the territories, which has led to an increase in the number of actions carried out: 240 in 2021, compared to 20 in 2018.
- Increased involvement in international debates, from COP26, to the IUCN World Summit, to the One Ocean Summit, to influence policy decisions to fight ocean plastic pollution more aggressively.
All these missions are now part of the DNA of the association. See in video