Fitting Memorial to Sir Peter Blake

Initiative announced on anniversary of his death

A tribute to the late Sir Peter Blake, the world’s best-known yachtsman/adventurer, and who had referred to the Bay of Islands one of his ‘favourite places’ is being announced in Russell on the anniversary of his murder one year ago.

“The funds raised from a collection taken up in Russell at the time of his memorial service, and from the sale of Peter Blake memorabilia since, will help produce a booklet which will be widely distributed around the Bay,” said Jacqui Knight, CEO of Enterprise Russell. “We realised that while everyone loves the Bay of Islands as much as Sir Peter did, quite often people don’t know the best way of preserving life around it. This brochure will be like a first aid kit for residents and ratepayers, visitors, boaties and anyone else in the Bay.”

The booklet will contain practical tips on how to reduce pollution from septic tanks and oil leaks as well as how to protect marine mammals and birdlife. It will contain the take regulations for seafood available locally, and where to find a pump-out station, landfills and recycling areas. It will have information on noxious weeds, endangered species and how to protect coastal habitats and archaeological sites. And it will also have contact details if you should need further, more detailed information

“Helen Pick, representing BOI Coastal Watchdog and Tony Mundell, the local Missioner to Seafarers representative and I looked at many ideas. We felt that this was one that Sir Peter would have been right behind.”

At the time of his death Sir Peter had been championing blakexpeditions, the objective of which was to ‘help protect life in, on and around the waters of the world’. Blakexpeditions continues today with the SEAFARER currently at the Emsworth Sailng Club in Hampshire, Great Britain.

Information from the various government departments and other groups is being collated by Enterprise Russell personnel. It is hoped to have the booklet distributed before Christmas to PO Boxes, letterboxes as well as on shop counters.

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