Growing up on and around the water, then immersing himself in the aquaculture industry, has given Darren Clarke a lifetime of insight into the pressures our coastlines face from both recreational and commercial activity. During the COVID pandemic, many marine farming companies were operating with reduced staff and limited capacity, making it difficult to dedicate time and resources to remote beach clean-up work. With his itchy feet and booming personality, Darren stepped in and created an environmental initiative called “The Better Beaches Project”.

The project was designed to support the industry clean-up efforts already underway, while giving an extra boost to remote coastal areas around the top of the south that are difficult to access by road and can miss out on regular clean-up activity. Many of these remote locations are still used by both industry and the public, making ongoing clean-up work an important part of caring for the coastline.

Now in its fifth year, The Better Beaches Project team is proud that, with the continued support of loyal sponsors and new supporters coming on board, these efforts are helping keep hundreds of kilos of rubbish off our beaches each year.