Fishing gear found tangled around seals necks made into sunglasses in Cornwall
The campaign is helping to raise funds for a marine charity's rescue missions
Last updated 25th Jun 2021
Old plastic fishing gear found tangled around seals necks is being made in sunglasses here in Cornwall.
Waterhaul, a social enterprise based in Newquay, recycle plastic fishing nets into functional new products.
They've now collaborated with a marine charity called Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN), which has over 185 million views on YouTube of their seal rescues.
Together they are launching 100 pairs of limited-edition sunglasses made from recycled monofilament line - extracted by OCN from the necks of 1600 entangled seals - to raise funds for their vital rescue missions.
Waterhaul says that 'ghost gear' (lost or discarded plastic fishing nets, ropes and lines) kills more than 100,000 marine mammals every year, and millions more fish and seabirds.
OCN are tackling this problem hands-on, by catching and freeing seals and other wildlife from their plastic entrapments. Over the past two years, over 1600 seals have been saved, and Ocean Conversation Namibia's dramatic rescue videos have gained an online following, amassing over 185 million YouTube views.
"Ocean debris has become a major issue, and our very playful seals will try and play with anything they can find, often getting themselves stuck in plastic wrapping, clothing, discarded fishing line, old rusty paint bucket rings or anything else that might resemble a toy."
Naude Dreyer, founder of OCN
Waterhaul, which specialise in recycling plastic waste and fishing nets from the ocean into functional products, have teamed up with OCN to launch a fundraising campaign.
They are transforming this marine-endangering waste into 100 pairs of limited-edition sunglasses, which are being sold to drive funding. £50 from each sale will be donated to OCN.
"We've always been big fans of Ocean Conservation Namibia and the incredible work that they do. We actually got in touch when one of our customers tagged us in Ocean Conservation Namibia's rescue videos on social media, and Naude responded. We began thinking up ways to combine our recycling background with their conservation efforts to maximise impact."
Harry Dennis, Waterhaul CEO.
Each pair of sunglasses will arrive with a signed thank-you card from Naude Dreyer, which includes a QR code, leading customers to a video explaining the story behind OCN's rescue process, and the Rescue to Recycle campaign.