Keep our beaches clean of pollution

THIS year’s International Coastal Cleanup will see millions of volunteers pitching in to remove rubbish of every description from beaches around the globe.

The campaign is always very enthusiastically supported in and around Port Elizabeth, with organisations such as the Algoa Bay branch of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) once again heavily involved in various events culminating in International Coastal Cleanup day on Saturday.

A coastal municipality like Nelson Mandela Bay is directly affected by marine pollution – borne out by the fact that, last year, an astounding eight tons of rubbish was collected by volunteers on this one day alone.

It is in everyone’s interest to help reduce the waste that chokes up our rivers and estuaries, and ultimately finds its way into the oceans where marine life is placed at ever increasing risk as a result.

Our Blue Flag beaches have to stay pristine if they are to continue receiving this sought-after international stamp of approval – Blue Flag beaches are often an important consideration for the domestic and foreign tourists we are so eager to attract.

In addition there is the collective responsibility to keep our oceans clean for the benefit of future generations.

If you are a user of the Bay’s beaches, even if just for one or two days a year, then we urge you to consider making yourself available as a volunteer at any one of the various beach cleanups being planned for Saturday.

Better still, rope in your friends and family, particularly children who from a young age should be educated on the importance of respecting the environment.

Plastic pollution in particular is a massive threat to oceans worldwide. Cleanups do help to reduce at least some of the trash animals ingest or become entangled in.

Coastal Cleanup day also provides an opportunity to teach youngsters about the value of recycling, since this week also happens to be National Cleanup and Recycling Week. According to a 2016 World Bank report, South Africa produces some 54 425 tons of refuse daily – a figure that will only increase.

We need to become more mindful of what happens to our waste and how it impacts the environment, and this awareness must be cultivated in the formative years.