IMA partners with Guardian Insurance for beach clean-up

THE Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and the Guardian Insurance Group teamed up to clean Hart's Cut, Chaguaramas on September 14, the IMA said in a release on September 18.

This was part of the global international coastal clean-up effort (ICC) co-ordinated by the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development.

The clean-up was also supported by the Ministry of Planning and Development.

The release said more than 80 volunteers joined the effort, collecting 531 pounds of garbage bags and removing more than 50 bags of waste from the shoreline.

The group also collected data on the types and quantities of debris found on the beach, which is crucial for informing policies aimed at reducing marine litter.

“Marine pollution poses a severe threat to coastal and marine ecosystems with harmful impacts that could include the ingestion of plastics by marine life, the disruption of habitats and the introduction of toxins into the food chain,” the IMA said in a release.

The release said the consequences do not only include marine organisms, but also local economies, public health and the environment.

The ICC collects a total of eight million tons of garbage each year. Data has shown 60 per cent of the garbage collected is plastic.