Opportunity to meet the ‘Voice of the Oceans’ crew in Auckland in November

What is the Voice of the Oceans (VOO) Initiative? 

VOO is a maritime expedition that began in August 2021 in Brazil by New Zealand alumni David Schurmann and his family.  David is a globally renowned film maker and environmentalist, former NZ secondary school and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) film student.  

VOO’s mission is to examine and record the environmental state of the oceans including plastic pollution so that this data can raise awareness and inform education, science, and innovation that improves the health of our oceans. It has the global support of the United Nations Environment Programme. 

The VOO crew will arrive in Auckland to mark the end of the first stage of their journey, after travelling for two years and visiting more than 100 destinations, recording the levels of plastic pollution they see as they go.  

Who is David Shurmann?   

Living and studying in Aotearoa New Zealand inspired David to create VOO. He first came to New Zealand as a child when sailing around the world with his family and decided to stay on to study here. 

His study led him to tell the story of his family’s connections to NZ, including the sister he gained, through film. David directed Little Secret to tell his story, this film went on to be nominated for an Oscar in the 2016 Academy Awards. David said that the decision to complete the first stage in New Zealand was straight forward due to the close relationship they have with our country.  

 “Our relationship with New Zealand goes beyond the sentimental ties however as we recognise New Zealand’s leadership in its conservation of the environment, and particularly the marine environment. In our travels we share with other countries, the sustainable and best practices that we see here in New Zealand, including its waste management and the prevention habits and practices of waste entering the ocean,” said David.   

The Event  

To celebrate their arrival, the Latin America New Zealand Business Council has organised this event on November 3 to bring together experts in the fields of sustainability, innovation, the environment and climate change to join David on a panel discussion on the topic of sustainability and innovation. Following the discussion, event participants can visit the KAT sailboat moored in the Viaduct harbour. 

The event will have the participation of His Excellency Marcos Arbizu, Ambassador of Brazil and Dr Matthew O’Meagher, Director of the Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence.