A beach cleanup activity has been organized in Sansha, on Hainan island, to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, which falls on September 21st. International Coastal Cleanup Day started over 30 years ago in Texas, when two local activists gathered a group of volunteers together to go and collect and record litter along the coastline. It has now evolved into an annual event involving activities in more than 100 countries.
in order to call for more volunteers to unite and pay attention to the issue of marine debris, and participate in marine protection actions, in The activity in Sansha was organized by the China Ocean Development Foundation and the Blue Ribbon Marine Protection Association and co-organized by the Sansha Eco-environment Bureau, Sansha Island Troopers, the Sansha Star Volunteers Association, Sansha Satellite TV and the Sansha Yongxing School, “in order to call for more volunteers to unite and pay attention to the issue of marine debris, and participate in marine protection actions”. 110 kgs. of litter were cleared up during the activity, including 58 kgs. of plastic waste.
Marine litter is a serious source of global pollution. Data shows that the annual environmental damage caused by marine plastic waste is about 9 billion yuan, and as many as 15 million marine organisms die each year due to the excessive use of disposable plastics, while more than 50 species of fish become extinct. Plastic particles are also being returned to the human body through the food chain. The shocking reality is increasingly alarming: plastic waste is causing irreparable damage to the ocean, the planet, and humanity.
