Tat will do nicely for new marine litter campaign

Surfers Against Sewage has launched a ‘Save Our Seas’ Marine Litter Tattoo campaign to highlight the growing scale and permanence of the marine litter crisis.

The ‘Save Our Seas’ Marine Litter Tattoo campaign takes its inspiration from highly stylised maritime tattoos that are synonymous with the sea and those connected to it – mariners, sailors, fishermen, seafarers, explorers and in more recent times, surfers. As tattoos, the designs convey a strong sense of permanence, something that the marine litter crisis is threatening if urgent action is not taken soon.

The campaign highlights some of the most pervasive litter items washing up on our beaches, including the single-use plastic bag, the plastic water bottle, the aluminium can and discarded fishing gear. 

The amount of litter recorded on UK beaches in 2014 was at its highest level ever with 2,457 pieces found for every kilometre of coastline surveyed, representing a 6% increase on 2013 levels.

The campaign was created by award-winning advertising agency M&C Saatchi in association with acclaimed American tattoo artist Nick The Tailor.  

Picture credit: SAS