Indwe learners clean up Santos Beach

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Oceans Research Foundation "Sea the Change" youngsters from Indwe High School teamed up with the Oceans Research intern team for a beach clean-up exercise at Santos Beach, Mossel Bay on Friday, 26 April, as part of an Earth Day awareness exercise.

"Santos Beach is a relatively clean beach with designated municipality cleaners, but even here we found thousands of cigarette butts and plastic straws," said Andrea Bradfield, Ocean Research spokesperson.

"The government must help too, by legislating against single use plastic. If current trends persist there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050," added Andrea.

"We can all make a difference and turn the tide against the needless proliferation of plastic. Ideally we need to move away from a waste culture. A garbage truck is dumped into the ocean every minute and change is needed more urgently than ever."

Sophu Qoma, the education out research officer for Sea the Change, had a busy day and had already organised a community clean-up in KwaNonqaba. "Ideally, we need the municipality to assist with recycling points in the township and the schools to push recycling in the classroom, with multiple use bins," she said

"Our next focus is on World Environment Day celebrations and initiatives on 5 June," added Sophu, "to encourage action and protection of the environment with fun activities and a variety of events and community participation."

Some of the cigarette butts and plastic straws picked up on Santos Beach.