In merely four hours, over 60 fishermen on 30 boats removed 2.9 tonnes of plastic from the ocean.

The Gulf of Mexico hosts some of the highest concentrations of marine plastic in the world according to a study by Louisiana State University.  AB Inbev beer brand Corona recently held a Plastic Fishing contest in Mexico to highlight the county’s issue with plastic pollution.

The tournament was carried out in partnership with local recycling company México Recicla, environmental organisation MazConCiencia, and New York agency We Believer. Held in June, the tournament took place in Mazatlán, a Mexican resort town in the state of Sinaloa.

The tournament challenged local fishermen to retrieve plastic from the Pacific Ocean in exchange for cash prizes. In just four hours, over 60 fishermen on 30 boats were able to remove 2.9 tonnes of plastic from the channel between Isla de la Piedra and the Urías estuary, an area heavily impacted by tourism.

First place was awarded to a boat that collected 319 kilograms of waste and received €639, while second and third places received €426 and €230 respectively. Everyone that participated was given a medal and vouchers for cleaning utensils made from recycled materials.

The plastic retrieved from the ocean is being recycled by México Recicla, a recycling centre with an important mission of its own. The centre is based in Ecatepec, a municipality in Meixco with the highest rate of femicides in the country. Around 60 per cent of their employees are women, with the aim of empowering their employees through economic independence.

Together with Corona, the partnership has collected more than 5 million kilograms of plastic since December 2020.

Written By: Katrina Lane for Springwise