Young fishers remove over 12,000kg pollutants from Cox’s Bazar sea beach

Blue Guards, a youth fishers-led beach cleaning initiative, removed 12,068 kg pollutants from sea beaches covering Cox's Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Ramu, Teknaf, Ukhiya, and Kuakata areas in 2021.

The Blue Guards participated in the waste removal efforts in the sea beach areas & collected non-decomposable garbage including plastic bottles, polythene bag and sheet, food packet, single use plastics, and discarded nets during March-December 2021.

"Plastic pollutants remain in the sea for a long time, which have long term harmful effects on fish and other animals. We are collecting debriefs from coastline regularly to conserve ocean and fish," said Tarek, a Blue Guard of Rastarpara, Khurushkul in Cox's Bazar Sadar.

Like him, WorldFish Bangladesh engaged local young people, both men and women (18-35 years old) around Cox's Bazar and the Kuakata Sea beach areas and in the Nijhum Dwip Marine Protected Area (MPA) under it's USAID funded ECOFISH II Activity.

Dr MA Wahab, team leader of ECOFISH II, said, "Ocean is the home of most of the World's biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the globe. But, ocean pollution has reached an alarming level day by day.

"Aiming to conserve marine biodiversity and optimizing potential of blue economy in Bangladesh, we have mobilized the Blue Guards".

"A significant number of people are involved in fishing in Bangladesh. Their lives and livelihoods depend on the ocean. Recognizing the youth potential, ECOFISH II involved youth fishers as 'Blue Guards' to keep the coastal waters clean," reiterated Dr Wahab.

So far, about 100 youths, including 20 women, are engaged as Blue Guards. The number is expected to rise to 200, and the initiative is set to cover St Martin's Island as well in 2022.

The Blue Guards, after collecting plastics and discarded fishing nets from coastal waters and beaches, dispose of those materials by via the local plastic recycling system or by storing them in a safer place.

In addition, they are voluntarily working with the EOCFISH II team in marine biodiversity conservation and developing awareness among the fishermen to sympathetically treat the megafauna, sharks, turtles, dolphin, porpoises and small whales if they are knotted in the fishing nets and carefully release them into the waters. The practice of releasing knotted turtles and dolphins, gained popularity among the artisanal fishing boat skippers.

The Blue Guards have received training from the ECOFISH II on various aspects of beach cleaning, marine biodiversity conservation, and have been equipped with the necessary logistics including jerseys, trousers, caps, and shoes.