Sustainable Coastlines And Augusto Re-Create Iconic Kiwi Poster Revealing New Species Lurking In Our Ocean

The iconic New Zealand Fish Species poster famously adorns the walls of takeaway shops up and down the country - a celebration of the plentiful and diverse kaimoana in our waters. But now these fish are increasingly having to share their ocean home with unwanted visitors - The Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Using data collected from the charity’s Litter Intelligence programme, Sustainable Coastlines and Aotearoa-owned, independent creative agency, Augusto, have re-created the iconic New Zealand poster to call-out the most common litter found in our waters. The poster reveals twenty-one new species of hybrid litter sea life, through watercolour illustrations of the Quarter Flounder, Pauarade and Snapperloc Bag, among others.

Designed alongside renowned New Zealand wildlife artist, Erin Forsyth, this trashy twist on a Kiwi icon brings to life the state of our oceans and encourages people to take care of their litter to prevent these trash species from taking over. Created as a series of posters, the designs will share each seafood’s creation story and tell Kiwis what they can do to stop these critters from breeding in our waters.

Sustainable Coastlines’ Communications Manager, Helen Adams-Blackburn, says “We’re surrounded by a diverse and beautiful coastline here in New Zealand. It’s a big part of our culture, and protecting our amazing marine species is important to a lot of us. This campaign helps to highlight the threat of a totally unwanted ‘species’ that are finding their way into our oceans through littering, open bins, and down stormwater drains. It draws the connection between items we might use on a daily basis and the beaches and wildlife we hope to protect. The message is simple: catch your trash before it fills our oceans, whether that’s changing your buying habits or making sure something is disposed of properly.”

Augusto’s co-founder, Leon Kirkbeck, says, “With a shared love of Aotearoa and protecting the environment, we’re proud of this work and our partnership with Sustainable Coastlines, and hope this acts as a springboard for sustained behaviour change. As a B Corp certified agency, this kind of work is really rewarding for our team, utilising their creativity while supporting a really important cause.”

Adam Thompson, ECD at Augusto adds, “I think most of us have heard, and seen, the litter problem in this country, but it wasn’t until we saw the very humbling data that we realised how preventable things were. By showing the visible impact through a much-loved piece of Kiwiana, we will hopefully motivate people to change how they treat their trash.”

The original artwork will be on display from October 7th at an exhibit at Sustainable Coastlines’ events space in Wynyard Quarter before being auctioned off to raise money for the charity. Premium prints of the poster will also be available to buy on Sustainable Coastline’s website to further support the work they do.

People will be encouraged to reveal the rubbish they pick up from their local beaches by sharing their ‘#catchoftheday’ on social media.

© Scoop Media