Phuket conservationists lead beach cleanup after trash washes up from storms

A conservation group in Phuket lead a beach cleanup at Siranart National Park on Friday, as storms have hit the Andaman Sea with large waves that tend to wash up garbage and marine debris on shores. The event, organised by the Andaman Natural Resources Foundation, was titled Big Cleaning Day 10.

Other government agencies and private organisations, as well as locals, helped with the event. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation did not report how much trash was collected at the event. But at similar events in the past have, participants have usually scraped up hundreds of kilograms of garbage, mainly plastic.

Phuket does not yet have a special marine service to collect rubbish from beaches, so regular cleanups like this are the only way the island province can reduce garbage, which often hurts its wildlife. Last month, an injured dolphin got stranded in shallow waters of Phuket’s Nai Yang Beach. The vet and the national park head who examined the dolphin both suspected the it was likely wounded by a discarded fishing net.

The advisor to the president of the PPAO, Piyadej Chuachyad, said the beach cleanup aims to raise awareness of waste management solutions, as well as keep the beach a beautiful and enjoyable space.

“It also keeps the beach clean and beautiful, so it’s simply everyone’s duty to care about natural resources, and to conserve and restore them.”

SOURCE: The Phuket News