Wednesday, 08 August 2018 

M/Y Steve Irwin QuartermasterJarmbi retreives a Coles Better Bay 
from the ocean during the week (Photo Credit: Tara Lambourne / Sea Shepherd).

ON Sunday, August 5, 2018, whilst on Operation Reef Defence, the crew of Sea Shepherd’s flagship vessel M/Y Steve Irwin, who were onboard their small Delta support boat, spotted a plastic shopping bag floating in waters approximately 500 metres off the Mackay coast, by the harbour. The crew were on their way to join the Mackay community in opposition of the Adani coal mine, and in defence of the Great Barrier Reef.

WATCH & SHARE our video of Jarmbi retreving a Coles Better Bag

Despite attempts to retrieve the bag via a grappling hook, Indigenous Githabul man and M/Y Steve Irwin Quartermaster crew member, Jarmbi, jumped in to remove the bag, which was found to be a Coles Better Bag. Within the past month Coles has backflipped several times continuing to supply customers with free Coles plastic Better Bags, despite outrage from the community.

M/Y Steve Irwin Quartermaster, Jarmbi, stated: "We were just on our way to a press conference, and we see this Coles Better Bag floating in the water. We just saw plenty of whales coming through here. This is just not far out of the port in the harbour in Mackay. So Coles Better Bags, you've got to do better again, hey? 

"Let’s make sure that this doesn’t end up in the stomach of the whale or in the stomach of the turtles. This is the sort of thing that we’re very, very passionate about and we definitely need to see less of this,” Jarmbi stated.

Indigenous Githabul man and M/Y Steve Irwin Quartermaster crew member, Jarmbi, 
removed a Coles Better bag from the ocean last weekend. (Image Credit: Tara Lambourne / Sea Shepherd).

Sea Shepherd Australia, Managing Director, Jeff Hansen stated: “Even though these Coles betterbags have only been around a short time, already we are seeing them in our local marine environment, with the potential to kill whales as many whales globally have washed ashore starving due to their stomachs being choked with plastic bags," Jeff said. 

"What’s also a big concern is that the red and white colour Coles branding on the bag has faded to a pale yellow, meaning dye is leaking into our precious and fragile marine environment," Jeff added. 

“There is nothing better about Coles better bags, they take longer to break up, they are already ending up in our marine environment and on a collision path with our precious friends of the sea, be that whales, dolphins or turtles. It’s time that Coles put our marine life and oceans first.

“Sea Shepherd is calling on all Australians to call Coles Customer Service on 1800 061 562 to voice their opposition to Coles supplying free plastic bags, for our oceans, for our marine life and for our children,” Jeff added. 

In 2017, volunteers from Sea Shepherd Australia’s Marine Debris Campaign, which hosts beach and river clean-ups around the country, removed over 14,000 plastic bags.

To find out more about our Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Campaign please visit: www.seashepherd.org.au/marinedebrisww.seashepherd.org.au/marinedebris