Primary school children are being asked to design large marine-themed sculptures, to be used as collection points for plastic waste on beaches.
The project is a collaboration between Suntera Global; an international provider of fund, corporate, and private wealth services, the Clean Earth Trust, Guernsey’s Nature Commission, and The Guernsey Institute.
Angela Salmon, Head of Operations and Education, the Nature Commission, commented: “We are very lucky to have so many fantastic beaches and stunning stretches of coastline in Guernsey. It’s important that we don’t take that for granted and that we care for them, so that we can enjoy them for years to come.
“It is one of our aims to encourage islanders to connect with nature, and the Fill a Fish initiative is a fantastic collaborative project that can help us all do that – from the young people who are designing the sculptures right through to the families, parents, locals and visitors who will end up using them.”
The primary aim is to reduce plastic waste on Guernsey’s beaches and coastlines and to encourage recycling and responsible disposal of plastics. It also seeks to engage young people and address the growing concern about damage to marine ecosystems caused by plastics, with the vast majority of rubbish collected from Guernsey beaches being plastic.
Paul Bugden, a Policy Officer of the Clean Earth Trust, said: “More than 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year. Locally, our latest Marine Litter Report found that 80% of rubbish collected from our beaches in Guernsey is plastics.
“This plastic waste directly harms wildlife, introduces microplastics to the food chain and atmosphere, resulting in potential health implications for humans, and its manufacture contributes to climate change. We need to reduce plastic consumption and encourage recycling and responsible behaviour around the disposal of plastics to reduce these impacts.
“We are pleased to be working with Suntera Global on this initiative to provide a creative approach that can have a tangible impact on protecting our local natural environment.”
The deadline for children’s design entries is 13 June 2025. Winning designs will then be chosen by a panel of judges. Engineering students at The Guernsey Institute, supported by Mark Pratt and local artist Mark Cook, will then bring these winning designs to life as physical sculptures.
These finished sculptures will be permanently placed in key locations around Guernsey’s coastline to serve as collection points for plastic waste. The ‘Fill a Fish’ initiative has already seen success in the Isle of Man, where it launched in 2022 and has resulted in the collection of over 80,000 plastic bottles.
Sara Le Page, the Governance, Risk and Compliance Director for Guernsey at Suntera Global, aded: “We are so excited to be able to roll out our Fill a Fish initiative to a second jurisdiction – Guernsey!
“This marks an important step forward in our commitment to environmental sustainability, and we are really looking forward to working with our charity partners and local schools to expand the reach of the project and make a positive difference in the local community.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for children to unleash their imagination by designing sea-life sculptures that celebrate the beauty of Guernsey’s coastline, whilst also helping to protect it, creating a legacy we can all be proud of.”
