Documentary video: Positive Footprints Australia

Join Phil Sylvester, our Travel Safety Specialist and World Nomad as he sets of on a World Expeditions' community project in North East Arnhem Land, working alongside the indigenous Yolngu Aboriginal rangers to restore sea country by removing and cataloging marine debris, the by-product of South East Asia’s fishing industry.

The virtually pristine coastline is facing a significant environmental threat from marine debris washed in on the ocean currents. Discarded fishing nets, rubber footwear, empty bottles and plastic bags are all carried by these currents from throughout the South East Asian region and deposited on the Arnhem Land Coast. All of this waste is a major threat to the wildlife, as animals get caught up in the nets and choke on the plastic rubbish.

Not only did they use modern day techniques for dealing with this problem, but also relied on and learned from Traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals.

This project enabled Phil and other travellers to work alongside and under the direction of Yolngu Aboriginal Rangers from Dhimurru and Laynhapuy Land Management as they together collected, catalogued and disposed of the marine rubbish.

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Thanks to 2583 Footprints Network donors who supported this Marine Rescue project

Read more on the background to the Documentary Video series and see the other 8 episodes