DURBAN is the month-long stop for research vessel Fleur de Passion, which is on a four-year voyage around the world, on an ocean-mapping expedition.
The 33-metre long Ketch vessel aims to observe, understand and map the state of the oceans and to also give hope to people who believe that pollution and climate change have become unstoppable.
Samuel Gardaz, vice-president of public affairs at non-profit organisation Fondation Pacifique - the driving force behind the expedition - said the expedition was inspired by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. The navigator sailed to find a maritime route to what was known as the “Spice Islands” about 500 years ago. Their trip began in 2015 in Seville, Spain, where Magellan began his expedition, and follows the same route he took.
Gardaz would report back next year on their observations on the state of the oceans due to the impact of humans and raise awareness of the challenges facing the environment.
Ship captain Pere Valera said one of the ship’s skippers had sailed to Madagascar about 30 years ago and saw “plenty of fish”.
On his next visit things had changed, as there were no fish and there were many boats fishing illegally.
“You can see and feel the change. Fish are disappearing,” he said.
Yaiza Santana, the expedition’s scientific co-ordinator, said it was not only about fish; they were also sampling micro plastic pollution.
“We have been to places where nobody is living, isolated islands, pristine places but there was plastic on the beaches. We have been to Solomon Islands - a sanctuary for the breeding of turtles - and it was full of plastic.” She said the plastic was brought there through currents from other places.
Gardaz said there were no longer clean places on Earth where one could find a natural environment.
“It seems that the trend is the same, as the beauty of the Earth is getting narrower and narrower and is disappearing, unless you create protected areas.”
He said there was sadness and anger at the way things were, and there was a great need to stop plastic production.
The former military vessel will depart for Cape Town after it undergoes maintenance.