Kotahi moana – kei konei te tīmatatanga
One Ocean – it starts here

Date: 5 March 2007

Pull on your lifejacket or don your oldest pair of gumboots, but whatever you do, make sure you participate in Seaweek 2007 from 4-11 March.

Over the coming week over 200 Seaweek events will be held around the country. Events range from building boxes for little blue penguins to beach clean ups to guided snorkel trips.

New Zealand and Australia are the only countries in the world to celebrate Seaweek. As Mark Orams, Executive Director, Sir Peter Blake Trust notes, “Both countries are world leaders on a number of marine conservation issues, and our celebration of Seaweek is no different.”

The theme for Seaweek this year is “One Ocean – it starts here – Kotahi Moana – Kei konei te tīmatatanga.” The theme highlights the aims of Seaweek which are to raise awareness of the coast and ocean and encourage all New Zealanders to help look after their local marine areas. It’s a time when New Zealanders not only celebrate the sea, but also get involved in activities that promote the health of the ocean.

For example, in Northland over 2,000 students from 35 schools are participating in a Beach Clean-up Bash! At Opunake Beach in Taranaki kids of all ages can put recycled materials to use by building kites to look like marine animals. In the Waikato region the “stormwater drains are only for rain” programme kicks off. At the Hector for Hectors Family Day people can learn about Hector’s dolphins at the dolphin viewing site, while on the Hari Hari Coastal Walkway a working bee is scheduled to set predator traps to protect the area’s sooty shearwaters. Further south, from Wakouaiti to Taieri Mouth, hundreds of people will be involved in the Great Dunedin Coastal Cleanup Competition.

Seaweek is a national event coordinated by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE) and Sir Peter Blake Trust. Sponsors include Department of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Fisheries, St Kilda Marine Environment Trust and media sponsor New Zealand Geographic.

Be sure to visit www.seaweek.org.nz to learn more about Seaweek events being held in your community.

Background information for media

What is Seaweek?
Seaweek aims to highlight community awareness and appreciation of the coast and ocean, provide information and education about marine related issues, and to encourage everyday New Zealanders to get involved with projects that help protect and enhance the local marine environment.

The objectives of Seaweek are to:
- Celebrate the sea; its beauty, diversity and cultural significance for New Zealanders
- Promote understanding and awareness of the significance of marine and coastal biodiversity and sustainable practices both at sea and on the land
- Organise activities to raise awareness of the need for marine and coastal conservation
Many organisations get involved with Seaweek including iwi organisations, schools, government, outdoor recreations groups, zoos, aquaria, museums and NGOs.

Dates for 2007
4 - 11 March

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10 things we can do to help:
1. Take part in a Seaweek activity or organise your own. Look on the www.seaweek.org.nz website for a list of activities happening in your region.
2. Don't litter! Plastic and rubbish left on beaches or dropped in the sea can kill birds and marine animals if they swallow it or get entangled in it.
3. Outdoor drains are only designed to drain rain. Be careful with chemicals and what you pour down your drain and throw on the street – it all ends up in the sea.
4. Look after the birds nesting on beaches and in sand dune areas. Avoid driving on beaches but take care if you must. Keep your dog on a leash.
5. Find out if you can get involved in a coastal conservation project.
6. Boaties – dispose of rubbish on land and keep your boat hull clean to stop the spread of marine pests.
7. Recreational fishers – know your legal limit and throw the little ones back. Help look after our dolphins. Remember that set nets catch more than fish - know the regulations in your area. Call 0800 4 RULES for information.
8. Go snorkelling or diving or check out your local shore’s rockpools. You will be amazed at what you can see.
9. Report suspicious activity on our coasts, phone the Mfish or DOC hotlines 0800 4 POACHER or 0800 DOCHOT
10. Pick up any rubbish you see next time you are at the beach.

ENDS

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