Marine Park pleased with reduced pollution of MoBay's coastline

Alison Espeut, administrator of Montego Bay Marine Park, says her organisation is seeing a clear reduction in the level of pollution that is taking place on the city's beaches.

Speaking following last Saturday's all-island International Coastal Clean-up Day initiative, Espeut said less garbage was collected when compared to the amount collected last year.

Over 800 enthusiastic volunteers - led by the Montego Bay Marine Park, and which included representatives from Scotiabank, Half Moon Resort and Mount Alvernia High School - assisted in the effort.

Among the beaches targeted for clean-up this year were Dump Up, Dead End, Secrets, Cornwall, Almond Tree, and Tropical beaches.

The exercise was also extended to underwater parks, where Dump Up and Cornwall beaches were this year's beneficiaries.

Great initiative

Environmental manager for Half Moon Resort, Andrew Douse, lauded the initiative and pledged a continued support for it.

"We feel it a part of our civic duty to be able to participate in this effort by the Marine Park to help with the beach clean-up and to preserve the quality of our coastline.

"Environmental preservation is something we take very seriously at Half Moon and we intend to continue showing our support for this initiative," Douse said.

Among the main items of garbage recovered from targeted beaches were old tyres, plastic bottles, styrofoam, condoms, shoes, phone chargers, and various metals, much of which appeared to have been deposited and which further indicates that Montegonians are becoming better environmental stewards.

"Much of what we see today seems to have been washed down to the sea from hillsides and gullies as opposed to persons bringing them in … . We are happy for this increased level of environmental responsibility coming from the community," Espeut told The Gleaner.