Coastal cleanup on again
Copyright 2000, The Independent (PNG)
September 7, 2000
PNG’S second coastal cleanup has been scheduled for Saturday, October 7 and is expected to include more provinces this year.
Last year only three centres took part namely Port Moresby, Buka and Milne Bay. This year Madang will be taking part in the clean up as well.
Preparations for the formal launch of the campaign are currently underway by the PNG Coastal Cleanup Association which is expected to be launched by Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta.
The coastal cleanup is an international event headed by the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). It is an initiative of the Centre for Marine Conservation (CMC), a non-profit organisation established in 1972 in Washington DC.
The PNG Association was formed in May 1999 by a group of concerned citizens in Port Moresby headed by Chairman of Eda Ranu Jamie Maxtone-Graham with emphasis focusing on the urgency to do something about the on-going problem of discarding trash along the coastline mainly in the nation’s capital and other parts of Papua New Guinea.
The aim of the PNG Coastal Cleanup Association is to assist in organising individuals and groups at local community levels:To remove rubbish from the shoreline, water way and beaches of NCD and in future other parts of PNG;
To collect valuable information on the amount and type of rubbish collected;
To educate the public on the issues of marine trash and the effects; and
To use the information collected from the cleanup to effect positive changes - on all levels, from, individuals and communities to national.
As a lead up to the major cleanup talk shows will be held on radio stations by the committee to bring awareness to the people.
The association hopes to get as many people involved as possible.