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Excerpt from UN / MINUSTAH
Every September, from Bangor, Maine, to Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of people in more than 75 countries remove millions of pounds of trash from waterways and beaches all over the world during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).
Inspired by its success, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has launched a range of activities across three regions of the country, Cap Haitien, Les Cayes and Lully with the aim is to teach local people the importance of protecting their marine environment.
In Lully, MINUSTAH and the local Fishermen Association began the cleanup. The day started with peacekeepers distributing shirts and bags to the local population.
The Commander of the Chilean battalion of MINUSTAH said this approach is designed to protect the environment in which they operate.
The soldiers, in partnership with local residents, collected garbage in bags while educating people about the dangers of dumping waste into the sea.
For many volunteers, this cleanup is an important first step.
Members of the Association Vision 2013 went door to door explaining to people the usefulness of cleaning up the coastline.
Lucien Revange, President of the Association of Lully Fishermen says that the Haitian State should monitor the project and take all appropriate measures for fisheries development.
Fishing is Lully’s main activity, but fishermen are facing great difficulties, including a lack of equipment, in addition to the pollution of the sea. This creates not only a drop in the quantity of fish caught but also in their income.
Featured Photograph: Kevin Krejci / Tree Huggers /Creative Commons
