Rawathawatta East

After only 1.5 hours of sleep, on Saturday it is time for The Pearl Protectors to present World Oceans Day at One Galle Face Mall! We are proud to show our exhibition to the public this weekend. The doors of the mall open at 10am and the attendance is huge! Especially the little ones are interested in the gigantic 4x4m Hawksbill turtle, the centerpiece of our exhibition. But as beautiful as this exhibit seems at first glance, a closer look reveals what a sad story this marine creature tells. Ghost nets and plastic waste have been a deadly threat to fish, sharks, turtles, seabirds, etc. for decades. And so, our Hawksbilll turtle has also become entangled in a ghost net and is sitting on vast amounts of plastic waste.
Ghost nets, whether intentionally dumped in the ocean, accidentally lost, or cut because of fishing difficulties, float freely in the ocean and pose a great threat to all marine life. These nets become entangled in coral reefs and destroy this precious ecosystem. Or they continue to fulfill their purpose: To fish. Marine life gets caught in these "Silent Killers of the Ocean" and dies in the process. Many visitors were completely unfamiliar with the term "ghost net" and today they are hearing for the first time about the devastating effects of this man-made nylon nightmare.
Another exhibit presents a turtle nest in cross-section. We also recall the MV X-Press Pearl disaster by presenting the collected plastic nurdles and telling their story. We explain the issue of transboundary marine litter and display the winners and selected artwork from our "Oceans Day through Art" art competition. The visitors are enthusiastic, and I realize what an enormous impact this exhibition has. The many weeks of hard work have paid off! Many visitors can't get out of their amazement, they are thrilled and shocked at the same time.
After the doors of the shopping center close at 10 p.m. on Sunday evening, it is unfortunately not yet closing time for us! On Monday morning, there must be nothing left of the exhibition, so we spend the night dismantling the exhibits and transporting them home.
As fast as everything has arrived, as fast it is already over again. I am mighty proud of our whole team, we have left a remaining impression and hopefully changed the behavior of one or the other!Read more