Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 20, 2026 – Registration has opened to 40 teams willing to spend an October morning pulling plastic, glass, foam and other refuse from Banderas Bay during Puerto Vallarta’s third International Trash Fishing Tournament.
The cleanup will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, October 18, with participating boats departing from Los Muertos Pier. The competition is organized by Limpia tu Mar Puerto Vallarta A.C. and is open to Mexican and international participants, schools, civil associations and businesses.
The official tournament registration page allows teams of up to five people. Each boat will also carry a brigade leader assigned by Limpia tu Mar.
The MXN 5,000 team registration includes a boat, two collection nets, protective gloves, shirts and caps. Organizers say the money will support marine cleanup brigades conducted throughout the year.
Teams do not need to arrange their own vessel. The boat captain will help identify areas where floating debris has accumulated within the marine waters of Banderas Bay.
Up to two children aged eight or older may join a team when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Registration closes October 6 or when the 40 available team places are filled.
Collected material will be separated into four competition categories covering recyclable PET plastic, glass, Styrofoam and non-recyclable general waste. The use of separate categories prevents the contest from being decided entirely by the heaviest objects and gives lighter materials such as bottles and foam a place in the final results.
Last year’s tournament established a substantial benchmark. Puerto Vallarta’s 2025 municipal tourism activity report recorded more than 3.5 metric tons of waste removed by 34 boats and more than 400 participants.
That total more than doubled the 1.5-ton collection target announced before the second edition. PVDN’s coverage of the 2025 tournament detailed the event’s competitive format and the use of entry fees to help finance additional cleanup brigades.
The boat crews address only one stage of the work. Volunteers stationed at Los Muertos Pier will handle team reception, weighing, waste separation and event logistics. Limpia tu Mar has opened a separate bilingual registration form to recruit that shore team.
The cleanup takes place near the end of Puerto Vallarta’s rainy season, when litter carried through streets, arroyos and river channels can reach beaches and open water. Previous local work has increasingly targeted that route before debris reaches the bay, including a Puerto Vallarta river cleanup campaign launched after water-quality concerns affected several beaches.
Team registration and full participation rules are available through Limpia tu Mar. Questions may be sent to [email protected].
