Brewer Corona to host 'catch plastic' contest

Seaside vacations have long been associated with Mexican beer brand Corona
.
But pollution makes these areas increasingly threatened
.
That's the inspiration for the brand's recent "catch plastic" competition in Mexico
.

Created by advertising agency We Believers, the competition challenges local fishermen to go out to sea not to fish, but to salvage plastic waste
.
At the event, 80 fishermen competed for the "biggest catch", hauling away more than three tonnes of plastic waste in total
.

Corona is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev in Mexico, while Constellation has distribution rights for the beer in the United States
.
The brand has long prioritized combating plastic pollution on shores, but at the event, We Believers suggested that brands should go deep into the ocean to clean up
.

"In Mexico in particular, the combination of plastic pollution and overfishing in the ocean is directly affecting local small-scale fishing communities," said Gustavo Lauria, co-founder of We Believers.
"When fishermen turn to the ocean, they find far more plastic than fish.
, and they're catching much smaller fish than they were 10 years ago
.
That's how we're connecting and encouraging them to collect plastic instead of fish, creating a new revenue stream for the region
.
"

The winner of the competition seized nearly 815 pounds of plastic on the day of the competition, earning 14,800 pesos, the equivalent of a month's wages for fishing at the usual price in the area
.

The other contestants didn't come home empty-handed either
.
Corona helped them get in touch with Mexico's largest recycling company, Recicla Mexico, which reimbursed them for going to sea by paying more than they paid for the fish
.

According to Lauria, Recicla, Mexico, will turn recycled plastic into everyday tools used by fishermen
.
The company is also currently in discussions with fishermen to formalize how they can continue their long-term partnership
.

Lauria added that other Mexican fishing regions have been informed of the competition and have been contacting Corona to bring the competition to their regions, so the brand hopes to continue the idea in other markets in the future
.