The exercise is part of Womesa Kenya-GloLitter Partnerships (GLP), a project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and led by the International Maritime Organisation in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and Ocean Conservancy.

Speaking during the cleanup exercise at Copa Cabana beach in Mtwapa Township of Kilifi County, Womesa Secretary Winnie Maina said their aim is to prevent pollution through sensitisation of locals on conservation through beach clean-ups.

“The project deals with the issue of marine conversation and today we are doing a beach clean up in Mtwapa, Kuruetu and Kanamai landing site and in today’s mission we’re 250 participant in attendance and our aim is to ensure our oceans are clean and free so that the normal process of the ocean can continue to take place and fish can continue to grow in an environment that is natural and we’re able to sustain our environment,” said Ms. Kimani.

Womesa secretary said the plastic menace has continued to be rampant on beaches all over the world and Kenyan beaches are not an exception.

“We choose Mtwapa because it’s an area that is known for plastic pollution and coastal pollutants town that is rapid with pollution issues that why we thought it good to come and sensantise with the people to come and participate to this noble activity,”she added.

She also said there is an urgent need to explore new and existing legally binding agreements to address marine plastic pollution.

According to the United Nations, at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, and as much as 80 per cent of that litter are plastic.

Lynette Kiteresi Mbai from the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri) said since most plastic debris found in the ocean originates from land, it is important to curb illegal dumping on land and serious law should be ammended to protect the ocean.

Meanwhile, Salim Makomba, Mombasa Marine Park Deputy Warden says they have launched campaign awareness to the communities living along the coastal line and visitors frequenting the beaches on the importance of disposing plastic waste appropriately.

He said they have community scouts who collect plastics along the beaches and they have created designated plastic disposal bins in the beaches.

“Plastic papers are killing sea turtles who end up eating the plastic because they look like jellyfish and they can’t differentiate between the plastic and fish algae, or other species that make up a large component of the sea turtles’ diets,” said Makomba.

Women volunteer drawn from the Association of Women Managers in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa (Womesa), Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have joined hands in  cleaning trash in coastal beaches of plastic pollution.

The exercise is part of Womesa Kenya-GloLitter Partnerships (GLP), a project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and led by the International Maritime Organisation in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and Ocean Conservancy.

Speaking during the cleanup exercise at Copa Cabana beach in Mtwapa Township of Kilifi County, Womesa Secretary Winnie Maina said their aim is to prevent pollution through sensitisation of locals on conservation through beach clean-ups.

“The project deals with the issue of marine conversation and today we are doing a beach clean up in Mtwapa, Kuruetu and Kanamai landing site and in today’s mission we’re 250 participant in attendance and our aim is to ensure our oceans are clean and free so that the normal process of the ocean can continue to take place and fish can continue to grow in an environment that is natural and we’re able to sustain our environment,” said Ms. Kimani.

Womesa secretary said the plastic menace has continued to be rampant on beaches all over the world and Kenyan beaches are not an exception.

“We choose Mtwapa because it’s an area that is known for plastic pollution and coastal pollutants town that is rapid with pollution issues that why we thought it good to come and sensantise with the people to come and participate to this noble activity,”she added.

She also said there is an urgent need to explore new and existing legally binding agreements to address marine plastic pollution.

According to the United Nations, at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, and as much as 80 per cent of that litter are plastic.

Lynette Kiteresi Mbai from the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri) said since most plastic debris found in the ocean originates from land, it is important to curb illegal dumping on land and serious law should be ammended to protect the ocean.

Meanwhile, Salim Makomba, Mombasa Marine Park Deputy Warden says they have launched campaign awareness to the communities living along the coastal line and visitors frequenting the beaches on the importance of disposing plastic waste appropriately.

He said they have community scouts who collect plastics along the beaches and they have created designated plastic disposal bins in the beaches.