Fred. Olsen Express has brought together 200 people in Agaete, the main port town they use in Gran Canaria, for the first coastal and seabed clean-up action of 2025, organised in collaboration with Terramare Medioambiente and the Office for Environmental Participation and Volunteering (IDECO).
This initiative is part of the company’s environmental care project, ‘In Harmony with the Sea’, which promotes social participation as a tool for raising awareness and preserving the natural environments of the Canary Islands, will focus on the eastern islands throughout 2025.
Participants and Collected Waste
155 volunteers from three educational institutions - IES Guía, IES Politécnico Las Palmas, and IES Agaete - as well as experienced divers from various diving clubs, local volunteers, and staff from Fred. Olsen Express all took part.
Among the attendees were Noemí del Rosario Padrón, Councillor for the Environment of Agaete Council; Sara Perdomo, Councillor for Beaches of Agaete Council; Germán Beltrán, Director of Terramare Medioambiente; Bethsabé Navarro, Technician at the Office for Environmental Participation and Volunteering (IDECO); Marina González, Head of Marketing at Fred. Olsen Express; and Pedro Diaz, the company’s representative in Agaete.
In total, more than 180 kilograms of plastic and other waste, including cigarette butts, paper, and even dental prosthesis components, were collected.
Commitment to Sustainability
Marina González, Head of Marketing at Fred. Olsen Express, highlighted the company’s enthusiasm for the second phase of the initiative. She explained that the coastal and seabed clean-ups are part of ‘In Harmony with the Sea’, an umbrella programme covering over 70 environmental sustainability actions. “Following the success of 2024, this year we aim to improve or at least match last year’s results,” González added.
Germán Beltrán, President of Terramare Medioambiente, pointed out that the Canary Islands, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, receive waste from various parts of the world due to ocean currents. “This is why our awareness programme extends across all the islands. Last year, we worked in La Gomera, La Palma, and Tenerife, and this year, we are focusing on the province of Las Palmas,” he said.
Sea Turtle Release
As part of the coastal and seabed clean-up in Agaete, volunteers also witnessed the release of two loggerhead sea turtles that had been rehabilitated at the Tafira Wildlife Recovery Centre. The turtles had been rescued after becoming entangled in marine debris. Tafira’s coordinator, Pascual Calabuig, provided insights into the species and explained the rehabilitation process leading to their return to their natural habitat.
The project aims to encourage social participation as a means of conserving the coastline, preserving marine ecosystems and species, and raising awareness among residents and tourists of all ages about the importance of protecting the marine environment. These goals align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 (Life Below Water) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), as well as the Canary Islands’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
