Sir Peter Blake would approve!

Press Release 6 December 2003

Sir Peter Blake would approve!

First aid kit for the Bay announced on anniversary of his death

A leaflet produced in honour of the late Sir Peter Blake, the world’s best-known yachtsman/adventurer will shortly be circulated in the Bay of Islands it was announced today, two years after his death.

“Sir Peter spoke of the Bay of Islands as one of his ‘favourite places’, and in the later years of his life had worked hard to protect the environment,” said Jacqui Knight, former CEO of Enterprise Russell, the group behind the initiative.

“The funds raised from a collection taken up in Russell at the time of his memorial service in Russell and from the sale of Peter Blake memorabilia helped to fund this initiative,” she said in Russell. “We realised that while everyone loves the Bay of Islands as much as Sir Peter did, quite often we don’t know the best way of preserving life around it.”

“We hope that everyone will hold on to the leaflet and use it as they would a first aid kit – but in this instance to preserve life around the Bay.”

The leaflet contains practical tips on how to prevent pollution from septic tanks and oil leaks as well as how to protect marine mammals and birdlife. It contains the take regulations for seafood available locally, and where to find a pump-out station, landfills and recycling areas. It has general information on noxious weeds, endangered species and how to protect coastal habitats and archaeological sites.

“But what’s most important, it contains the contact details for the appropriate people, for further, more detailed information.”

“Helen Pick, representing BOI Coastal Watchdog and Tony Mundell, the local Mission to Seafarers representative and I looked at many ideas of utilising the funds,” she said. “We felt that this was one that Sir Peter would have been right behind.”

At the time of his death Sir Peter had been championing blakexpeditions, the objective of which was to ‘help protect life in, on and around the waters of the world’.

It is intended to have the leaflet distributed before Christmas to PO Boxes, letterboxes and as well as available on shop counters.

ENDS (345 words)

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