Magawish Island Clean Up – 1st September 2012
calendar_monthSeptember 18, 2012
Another successful and fun day on Magawish Island with an incredibly enthusiastic and hard-working team of volunteers. Our youngest was 6 years old up to almost 70 years and everything in between! It was a hot day and the cooling breeze was welcome! Due to the currents, tidal flow, prevailing winds and location of Magawish Island the bays on the west side particularly, act like filters for the flotsam and jetsam that has found its way into our Red Sea waters either accidentally or more frequently as a result of carelessness and ignorance. The presence of the plastic bottles, aluminium cans, rope, drift wood, plastic bags and myriad shapes and sizes of glass, present a hazard to the animals and birds making this their home. The high tides push the debris over the reef and up the shore and deposit it on the beaches that are the training ground for the chicks of the terns, nesting on the island. Plastic bags wash up and, catching in the reef, are mistakenly ingested by turtles and other sea creatures. After yesterday’s amazing work the risks, for now, are reduced slightly, but the problem will continue until negligence is eradicated and respect for the fragile marine eco-system is the norm. A long way to go but thanks to all our volunteers we have taken one small step closer to our goal.
