NaFAA Undertakes Coastal Clean-Up

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, through the Division of Marine Fisheries and Environment, has embarked on a Coastal Clean-Up exercise of waterway facilities at the Mesurado Pier on the Bushrod Island.

The exercise, which commenced recently is intended to protect the pier’s marine environment from the effects of beach litters. Beach litters are items made or used by people and consciously discarded into the sea, rivers or on various beaches.

Speaking to newsmen during the exercise, NaFAA’s Director of Marine Fisheries and Environment, Solomon Daryoue disclosed that the coastal clean-up exercise is a collaborative initiative of various technical departments of NaFAA, as well as the Liberian Coast Guard.

“The exercise is a pilot phase that is intended to be replicated in different coastal communities across the Country. The exercise 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,” Daryoue said

He stated that the objective is to enhance the health of the aquatic environment by taking into consideration beach litters management and control marine pollution around the Mesurado pier.

Director Daryoue further stressed that marine litter is one of the most pervasive pollution problems affecting the marine environment, and unless effective action is taken, the global marine litter problem will only continue to worsen in the years to come.

He assured of NaFAA’s commitment to continuing the coastal clean-up exercise on the last Friday of each month, during which time, all the litters along the waterways will be raked and organized on fields; whereas, in the presence of inconveniences, litters collected into sacks will be transported to the disposal sites.

For his part, the Commander of the Liberian Coast Guard described the initiative as a great collaboration aimed at securing the environment.

Lieutenant Charles Blawah said, 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 at the Mesurado pier.