Mission: Protecting marine life
The What: Liu’s passion for environmental activism grew from witnessing marine pollution during her childhood in Japan. To combat the issue, she invented the KelpNet—a bioplastic fishing net made from microalgae that reduces the reliance on petroleum-based plastics and protects marine species from ghost fishing.
The Impact: 640,00 tons of nets are discarded each year in the US alone killing upwards of 7.3 million marine animals each year. In addition to KelpNet’s 100% biodegradable, safe, algae-based alternative to plastic, the design of Liu’s nets reduce bycatch wastage (the incidental capture of non-target species such as dolphins, marine turtles and seabirds) which means less time wasted on sorting out the undesired species – in other words, more profit for fishemen, and less damage to the environment.
A View from the Top: KelpNet won grand prize at the 2021 Blue Ocean Entrepreneur Pitch Competition and earned Liu recognition at the Canadian Nature Inspiration Awards.
Fun Fact: The success of KelpNet has gained widespread acclaim, featured in publications like the Toronto Star and recognized by Ripley’s Aquarium and Canadian Geographic.
Sound Advice: Liu is the founder of a community entrepreneurship club that empowers students to develop sustainable ideas.
What’s Next? In the future, Liu aims to continue her innovative endeavors and collaborate with young individuals to safeguard marine biodiversity, uniting them in their collective efforts toward a brighter and more sustainable future.
The Call To Action: “Even if you are unsure of your idea at the beginning, you will become more attached and confident with the idea as you work on it. Make sure you accept feedback and use it as positive energy to make improvements to your ideas. It’s so important that you are passionate about the idea, because only then will you be able to carry it out to its maximum capacity.” (source: https://blueoceancompetition.org/kelpnet/)
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