The National Coastal Awareness Committee of the Bahamas (NCAC), along with volunteers from Nassau, local residents, students, members of government and visitors of Cat Island took the initiative to clean up two beaches on the north side of Cat Island near Arthur’s Town.
More than 80 volunteers combed the beaches and removed nearly 3,000 items from the shoreline in the four-hour clean-up, making a huge impact on the beautiful coast that faces the Atlantic.
The majority of items collected during the clean-up included plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles, buoys, fishing tackle and gear, fishing line, traps, and rope.
The Committee is made up of a group of stakeholders from the private and public sectors with the overall aim to bring national attention to the challenges of Sustainable Tourism Development of Coastal Communities and to assist with relevant solutions.
“This was such a united effort between the National Coastal Awareness Committee, the people of Cat Island, our sponsors and all of the incredible volunteers from all walks of life that joined us whether they flew in from Nassau or just walked over; everyone did an amazing job cleaning the beaches on Cat Island together,” said Earlston McPhee, chairman of the National Coastal Awareness Committee and director of Sustainable Development for the Ministry of Tourism.
“It was brought to our attention that the beaches on Cat Island were becoming dirty as a result of debris from passing ships that travel in the shipping lanes and that it was becoming a problem. We flew to Cat Island to meet with local government and to visit the beaches in person and saw first-hand the marine debris was indeed brought in by the tide from ships. Our solution was rally together with the people of Cat Island to help and we are happy that we were able to restore the beaches to their pristine condition,” he said.
“Our coastal and marine resources help shape our nation’s character and its distinctive personality. All beneficiaries of the tourism industry must take an interest and active role in conserving our natural resources, particularly in growing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Bahamas.”
For more information on the National Coastal Awareness Committee, visit www.coastalawareness.org, LIKE the National Coastal Awareness page on Facebook or to become a sponsor please contact Earlston McPhee at 356-6963/67/38.
