THE SIX-METRE-LONG fish sculpture which landed in Poole in April to highlight the problem of ocean plastic pollution now has a name.

Of 240 suggestions submitted, ‘Wanda the Waste Warrior Fish’ came out as the overwhelming favourite.

Wanda will now continue her journey around the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area to highlight the harm caused by marine plastic and encourage people to bring their own reusables, and refill and reuse instead of throwing away.

Her next stop is Bournemouth Pier approach.

Founder of We Have The POWER Julia Davies said: “It’s great to see Wanda the Waste Warrior Fish spreading the Reuse, Refill and Reduce message.

“Single use bottles and cups are just rubbish, and we urgently need to turn down the tap on the amount of single use waste.

“There is no ‘away’, and we need to stop thinking that it’s better to ship a plastic cup halfway around the world, use it once, then bin, creating a long term waste problem, rather than good old washing up.

“Older generations didn’t cause waste like this, and we need to get back to their less wasteful way of living.

“Single use plastic is not only rubbish – it is also fossil fuels – so we need to use a lot less of it to tackle the Climate Emergency.

“Let’s take a lesson from our older generations and use our own refillable water bottles, containers and cups on trips to our beaches and parks.”

Wanda was commissioned by the Final Straw Foundation, using funds raised by We Have The POWER through the generosity of local donors plus Plastic Free Bournemouth, LUSH and Saffery Champness LLP accountants.

Wanda heads up a campaign by local groups, businesses and BCP Council to spread the Reuse, Refill and Reduce message.

Cllr Mark Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Cleansing and Waste, said: “Our waste warrior fish has been a great talking point since arriving in Poole.

“From reducing single use plastic through schemes such as the water Refill app to littering, over the summer, Wanda’s journey along our coast will help to inspire those using our beaches, parks and open spaces to do the right thing and enjoy these spaces responsibly.

“Understanding our impact on the environment and the actions we can all take are key. Wanda is doing a fantastic job helping to promote the Leave Only Footprints message and I’m sure will be popular when she arrives in Bournemouth in June.”

The large metal fish structure has also been adopted as part of the Leave Only Footprints campaign to engage with residents, visitors, businesses and the wider community to help protect the local environment and reduce waste, litter and pollution.