New Zealand Fish Species poster remixed to call out litter in oceans

A charity and creative agency have remixed a classic Kiwi poster to call attention to the amount litter in the oceans that is severely impacting the environment and wildlife.

If you’ve ever been in a fish shop in Aotearoa, you will likely have seen the New Zealand Fish Species poster on the wall, a celebration of the plentiful and diverse kaimoana in our waters.

But now these fish are increasingly having to share their ocean home with the unwanted visitors – litter.

Using data collected from charity Sustainable Coastlines’ Litter Intelligence programme, together with creative agency Augusto, they have recreated the New Zealand Fish Species, this time with the most common litter found in the water.

Through watercolour illustrations, the poster depicts 21 new species of hybrid litter sea life, including the Quarter Flounder, Pauarade and Snapperloc Bag. Designed alongside NZ wildlife artist Erin Forsyth, this trashy twist has been created as a series of posters to highlight state of the ocean and encourage people to take care of their litter to prevent these trash species from taking over.

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.”

Timed to coincide with people contemplating their first dip of the season, the poster campaign will roll out across OOH, streets, social and print, as well as showing up in various fish and chip shops from October 3.

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.

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