ZAMBOANGA
CITY, Oct.8 (PIA) - - At least 10 sacks, estimated at a hundred kilo- marine
debris, were gathered from the 1-kilometer coastline of Barangay Bulanit,
Labangan , Zamboanga Del Sur by “friends of biodiversity” (FOB), while 300
mahogany seedlings were planted during the
coastal cleanup and tree planting activity of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) conducted recently.
Hernanita Ascura of DENR in a press statement
said the environmental effort was carried out by 120 FOB “composed of 80
students from the Western Mindanao State University –External Studies Unit
(WMSU-ESU), Pagadian City campus; 30 DENR-Pagadian City employees, and 10
officers & members of Bulanit Seaweeds Farmers Association (BSFA).”
Ascura said the activity was in consonance
with the September National Clean up Month
(NCM) celebration and the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day (3rd
Saturday of September).
NCM
and ICC carried the theme “Clean Up the World!” and “Our Place, Our Planet, Our
Responsibility” respectively, Ascura informed.
The
annual commemoration
of ICC “aims to raise level of awareness
on marine debris crisis and its adverse impact on the people and environment;
remove debris from the shores, surface and under waters and waterways,” Ascura
said.
She
explained that facts or information on the debris collected are being submitted
to the Center
for Marine Conservation (CMC) for inclusion
to an international study on marine debris.
The
ICC celebration also aims to “use the information on the debris collected/
gathered to influence the LGUs to formulate and enact resolutions and
ordinances for marine environmental protection and conservation; and to
articulate the importance of a clean, healthy and sustainable marine
environment” Ascura said. (JPA//PIA9-ZBST)
