Posted on May, 19 2017

CORAL TRIANGLE –WWF joins partners in addressing the growing problem of ocean plastic pollution in the region by launching the #SayNo2Plastic campaign for Coral Triangle Day on June 9.
 
Now on its 6^th year, Coral Triangle Day will highlight this important issue by bringing together individuals, organisations, and establishments on June 9 through simultaneous events that will take place across the region, including beach and underwater clean-ups, educational talks, and other awareness-raising activities.
 
To further drive home the message that simple actions can make a big difference and to spur behavioural change among consumers, an Instagram contest using the hashtag #SayNo2Plastic will also be carried out by WWF and partners leading up to Coral Triangle Day.
 
The contest will encourage the public to reduce their plastic footprint by posting creative photos of pointless single-use plastic products and the personal changes they are making to help reduce ocean plastic pollution—for a chance to win prizes.
 
Home to 76 per cent of all known coral species, more than 3,000 species of fish, and six out of the world’s seven marine turtle species, the fragile ecosystem of the Coral Triangle is facing an ocean plastic pollution emergency.
 
According to a study published in the journal Science in 2015, three of the Coral Triangle countries are in the top 10 list of biggest marine polluters in the world (Jambeck et. al.) with Indonesia at number two with 187.2 million tons, the Philippines at number three with 83.4 million tons, and Malaysia at number eight with 22.9 million tons.
 
Plastic in our oceans mostly originate from land, and approximately eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world's oceans every year. Ocean plastic pollution generates a multitude of environmental, economic, and health complications. This plastic crisis will subsequently impact over 130 million people who live in the Coral Triangle and directly depend on its rich coastal and marine resources for food, livelihood, and protection from storms.
 
This year’s Coral Triangle Day continues to bring awareness to this richest marine environment on the planet and the urgency of protecting this globally-significant area across the seas of all six Coral Triangle countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
 
Aimed at ocean lovers of all backgrounds, the Coral Triangle Day is coordinated by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) in partnership with the National Coordinating Committees of the six Coral Triangle governments, and CTI-CFF Development Partners, including WWF.
 
Visit www.coraltriangleday.org for more information.
 
 
ENDS
-----------------
Notes to the Editor:

• The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world’s center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
• It is home to 76% of the world’s known coral species, 37% of the world’s coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world’s 7 known species of marine turtles.
• The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 130 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
• WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle 
• Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Coral_Triangle
• Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecoraltriangle

 
For further information:
 
Paolo Mangahas, Senior Manager for Marketing and Communications, WWF Coral Triangle Programme.
Email: pmangahas@wwfnet.org