BO
Bo Damgaard - also known in the world of Instagram as Trash Ninja - is a 29-year old local Danish ocean hero from Bornholm, living in the west of Fyn. Beyond the visible trash that he can spot and pick up with his ninja moves, Bo also talks to us about the importance of invisible ocean pollutants, like substances in products we use everyday.
@Trash_ninja
Bo’s connection to the water began where he grew up, in Bornholm, Denmark. When he finished his business-oriented high school education (HHX), he decided to explore sailing with, among other initiatives, Skoleskibet Danmark. Climate and environmental protection became a focus area for Bo in his early 20s, when he came across the “Trash_Tag_Challenge”. Bo goes by @Trash_ninja on Instagram - a fun twist to raise awareness on litter and waste along the Danish coastlines.
“I chose to call my profile Trash Ninja, instead of my real name, because I thought it was funny, but also because I was nervous about people's reactions to me actually collecting trash. It may seem completely silly, because I have only received hugely positive comments from friends and bystanders, but for some reason, I initially imagined that people would not be able to understand it and think it was silly or strange for someone to go and collect trash in their spare time.”
A PASSION FOR LIFE
A connection to the sea is something that Bo has carried with him since his childhood. During his upbringing, he went on countless snorkeling trips with his brothers on the Bornholm beaches, where they observed the reefs, seaweed and sand desserts. Caring for the ocean and sustainability is something great and growing in him, and he is convinced that it is a passion that will eventually lead to him getting his own boat!
“I expect the ocean to be a passion that will follow me for the rest of my life.”
Bo’s favourite ocean memory goes back to his last vacation in Greece, spending hours snorkelling, looking at underwater rocks and fish. “A small shoal of fish followed me and started observing me and, eventually, I was able to get them to swim all the way to my hand and where I was able to observe them too. I think that was fantastic to experience.”
He is thankful to the ocean for the life and the adventures it provides. “An unreasonably small part of the sea is explored and it tricks something in me that makes me eternally fascinated by the sea, its size and all that it holds. In a world that is becoming smaller and smaller every day, I am grateful that the ocean remains a mystery, just waiting to be explored.”
Bo’s biggest ocean hero is either Mikkel Beha Erichsen, for his tireless work in bringing the ocean into focus for the average Dane, or Boyan Slat, who started the Ocean Cleanup Project as a young teenager who wanted to do something about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
For Bo, the biggest challenges to sustainability are politics, culture and agenda priorities. He thinks that, for instance, a solution needs to be found on bottom trawling - a method of commercial fishing, through which heavyweight nets are dragged across the sea floor in an attempt to catch large fish quantities. Bo thinks that this method must be made illegal, and that the fishermen shall be compensated to be able to re-organise. He adds that the large desalination plants must also be closed down and that non-polluting solutions to provide fresh water must be found instead. He believes that we need to protect coral reefs both in Denmark and in the rest of the world to increase and protect our marine biodiversity. These acts could help contribute to taking care of our ocean, or #Tavaha!
Bo finds that the ocean has received enormous attention in the past few years, and he is happy to see that more and more people are becoming aware of the issues. “There are unfortunately just so many [read: issues] that some of them are overlooked, and then I think a lot of people believe that it is the oceans far away that need help, but the truth is that Danish waters equally need help.”
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AS A SOLUTION
Bo contributes to creating a healthier marine environment primarily by going on beach cleanups, but also by consuming sustainably, e.g. by buying organic products. That prevents harmful substances from ending up on our shores and the ocean. He also donates to various marine environment organisations, including Coral Restoration Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup Project, and Ghost Fishing UK.
“One can do many different and small things to protect the environment, like choosing a sunscreen without harmful substances for marine life or not throwing plastic in the toilet. The best we, as ordinary citizens and consumers, can do is buy products that are not filled with these non-essential substances, like coloring or perfume, parabens, etc. The cleaner our own wastewater is, the cleaner the wastewater treatment water will be, which is then returned to the environment. So it is enormously significant. I really care about which products I use.”
Bo’s #tavahatips are:
Buy ecological products
Buy sustainability labelled products
Keep the beaches clean!