SPGA teams up with stakeholders for Clean Up the World campaign |19 September 2023
Sacos Insurance Ltd staff on Saturday
Over the weekend, the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) partnered with various stakeholders to conduct a mini clean-up campaign, aligning with the global ‘Clean Up the World’ campaign for 2023.
On Friday, a team of fifteen volunteers from the Seychelles Commercial Bank (SCB) joined forces with the dedicated staff from SPGA's Morne Seychellois National Park Unit to embark on a clean-up mission along the Casse Dents area, located adjacent to the Sans Souci road. This area, apart from attracting nature enthusiasts and hikers, is a popular spot for the local community, often utilised for collecting potable water.
The collective effort resulted in the collection of 22 gunny bags filled with assorted litter, including plastic water bottles, bottle caps, food packaging, glass bottles, metal objects, and discarded vehicle parts and accessories.
Additionally, SCB generously sponsored a signboard at the site to discourage littering in the area.
The clean-up momentum continued on Saturday as Sacos Group Limited (LTD) dedicated their morning to cleaning coastal areas and the nearby beaches bordering the Baie Ternay Marine Park. A team of 22 participants from the company actively participated in the clean-up along with three SPGA officers, effectively removing a substantial quantity of discarded plastic items from the environment.
Geraldine Joubert, the Communications, Information, Events, and Customer Care Officer at SPGA, noted that there is a growing awareness and environmental consciousness among the population, however, the issue of littering continues to persist at various sites.
“We still have a lot of vandalism on our trails, on our signboards. We have to replace our signs often for the convenience of persons using the trails,” she said.
“In terms of littering, the littering problem is mainly limited to the trails, especially when there are activities,” Ms Joubert noted.
The team collected some 27 gunny bags of debris which was washed ashore such as ropes and other rubbish left behind by picnickers.
Park Officer for Cap Ternay and Port Launay, Roland Quatre, noted that the SPGA is supported by civil society as well as Ephelia Hotel in cleaning up the Port Launay beach daily.
Port Launay is a popular spot among locals.
The national Clean Up the World Campaign is run by the Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA).
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the clean-up activities.
Laura Pillay
