ST JAMES, Jamaica – Fisher folk and other beach users in Hanover are being urged to be more responsible in their waste disposal habits to protect livelihoods and ensure enjoyment of the coastal environment.

President of the Hanover Parish Development Committee (HPDC), Petra Vernon Foster, made the call as she participated in International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD) activities at the Lucea Fisherman’s Beach on Saturday, September 17.

She expressed concern at the amount of garbage removed from the beach. “We have picked up a lot of plastic bottles and food boxes,” she said.

Vernon Foster noted that there was also “bamboo that came down from the Riley River … we have the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) on board to collect that.”

HPDC member, Claudette Bernard, also lamented the state of the beach, noting that it will “need some continuous cleaning with other agencies getting involved.”

She is urging fisher folk and other users of the beach to “take your waste with you. If you take a snack or anything with you to the beach, just put it [the packaging] in your bag and take it home or drop it in the nearest bin, because the waste eventually gets into the sea, and we are the ones who later (consume) the fish.”

Secretary of the Lucea Fishers group, Leitha Patterson-Forde, in welcoming the ICCD activity, said that the fisher folk stood to benefit the most from the cleaning of the beach, and going forward, they should encourage others to take care of the facility.

She suggested placing drums or other collection units on the beach to encourage proper waste disposal.

The day’s activity attracted participation from fisher folk from Lucea, Johnson Town and Elgin Town, staff members from Grand Palladium, as well as from the Paradise Solar Plant in neighbouring Westmoreland.

Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor at the Paradise Solar Plant, Kendra Tennant-Campbell, noted the company’s commitment to preserving the environment.

She said that the entity will be collaborating with the HPDC and assisting the Lucea Fishers group with garbage drums.

Landscape supervisor at Grand Palladium Hotel, Noel Rhoomes, said two teams were dispatched on the day for clean-up activities in Lucea and Point.