Robby Naish has made it a lifetime quest to educate the masses on the amount of pollution pouring into our seas and educate the global public on the dangers of water pollution. On World Water Day on Thursday March 22 here is what the American, 54, had to say:

Naish on plastic pollution:

“It’s everywhere, there’s just plastic everywhere. We are using it for things we don’t need to be using it for. The problem is it is coming from countries that are not even aware of the issue. Recycling and environmental conservation is not something that crosses your mind when you are struggling in your daily lives.”

Robbie Naish surfing the big wave in Jaws, Hawaii , USA on March 15th 2011 // Bob Bangerter/Red Bull Content Pool // 1329478839128-603884805 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

On current awareness around plastic:

“It’s nice that there is an awareness for it now and people are doing a lot to start to fix the problem. Just the awareness of it alone helps, but the problem is massive. We need to start fixing the problem where-ever we can. But there’s a long long long way to go and we all need to work together to fix it.”

On a possible solution:

“Banning plastic water bottles would be a great start, because there is a lot of it caused by that, but a lot of environmental garbage that ends up in the ocean, and it’s all human created one way or another, but again like I said, awareness is the first step, and eventually catch up with it.”

Robby Naish performs during the PWA JP Aloha Classic in Maui – 2013 on October 24 – 31st, 2013 // Franck Berthuot / Red Bull Content Pool // 1383570154197-2008685012 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

On what he’s doing to help and what others can do:

“The more people I can get out on the water, have it in your face, touch it, taste it, fall in it, once it becomes part of your consciousness, it’s relevant. A guy that lives in New York City and never goes to the ocean and doesn’t even know how to swim doesn’t really much care about plastic in the water. When you are rigging on the beach and you have to walk through garbage, and you’re riding and you get plastic bags on your fins, it becomes something that means something to you, beyond just a headline or a political statement. So that’s my job, just to continue get people in the water.”

The projects that inspire:

“There’s millions, there’s so many, and every little bit helps. Again, it’s people slowly becoming aware of the problem. But there are a bunch of different, really good projects. From the guys who are creating the static cleaners that will slowly suck floating garbage out of the Pacific, to the people doing beach clean ups at home, to the people going to the western Hawaiian Islands and doing beach clean ups there. Getting kids involved, the younger the better, is the step in the right direction.”

Via Red Bull, (www.facebook.com/redbull) © Red Bull Media House

Main Photo by Lukas Pilz/Red Bull Content Pool
Robby Naish poses for a portrait at Hangar-7, Salzburg, Austria on January 24, 2018.