The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority of Liberia through the Division of Marine Fisheries and Environment embarks on a Coastal Clean-Up exercise of waterway facilities at the Mesurado Pier on Bushrod Island, a suburb of Monrovia.
The exercise, which commenced Friday, is intended to protect pier’s marine environment from effects of beach litters, mainly items used by people and consciously discarded into the sea, rivers or on various beaches. Speaking to newsmen during the exercise, NaFAA Director of Marine Fisheries and Environment, Solomon Daryoue says it is a collaborative initiative of various technical departments of the agency and the Liberian Coast Guard.
Daryoue indicates the exercise is a pilot phase intended to be replicated in different coastal communities across the country. According to him, it is a product of a proposal derived by the Division of Marine Fisheries and Environment in response to a global call for coastal clean-up.
The objective is to enhance the health of aquatic environment by taking into consideration beach litters management and control marine pollution around the Mesurado pier.
Director Daryoue stresses that marine litter is one of the most pervasive pollution problems affecting the marine environment here, and unless effective action is taken, the global marine litter problem will only continue to worsen in years to come.
the Commander of the Liberian Coast Guard describes the initiative as a great collaboration aimed at securing the environment. Lieutenant Charles Blawah notes, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority has been a long standing partner to the Coast Guard, as such, his institution remains determined to work along with NaFAA in providing logistics and manpower to clean the beaches with the goal of improving coordination.
Activities characterizing the coastal clean-up include: installation of effective and efficient solid waste systems and facilities, placement of garbage containers around the Mesurado pier, facilitation of waste collection at disposal sites, as well as provision of equipment for solid waste collection and disposal.
–Editing by Jonathan Browne
