Record number will clean the shoreline – Hitra Frøya

Almost 20,000 volunteers will participate in cleaning action on Norwegian beaches 9th. Commitment to combat marine litter is growing rapidly. Also here locally in island region have the local newspaper noted that there are several cleaning campaigns at once.

– The goal this year is to clean around 500,000 meters of coastline. We hope to remove 200 tons of garbage from beaches, says campaigner Mali Hole Skogen Keep Norway Clean in a press release.

Beach Clean Day is an annual, nationwide environmental event where Norwegian beaches will be cleared for plastic and garbage.

– We started up in 2011, and the quantity of cleaning has grown every year. Last year we were 12,000 who cleaned, this year we expect to be closer to 20,000, says Hole Skogen.

This year organized beach clean-day 9th. The main purpose of the day is twofold.

– partly it’s about removing garbage and hazardous waste in Norwegian nature. Meanwhile conducted an important survey and reporting to get updated knowledge about environmental problem along the beaches and seabed, says Hole Skogen.

The project is part of an international volunteer with the headwaters of the American organization The Ocean Conservancy. Nearly ten million people in more than 150 countries have participated. Government agencies, NGOs and businesses to contribute.

Growing problem

– This same combination of practical efforts and documenting environmental condition makes this project so successful. When we know what trash consists of, we can easily prevent the problem, says Cecilie Lind, environmental and quality director of reclamation enterprise Ragn-Sells.

The company contributes in several of the regional clearing actions and offer container service where applicable.

– Marine litter is a rapidly growing problem in many parts of the world. It knows no boundaries and is a threat to life on Earth. Therefore it is good that the Norwegian beach cleaning actions are rooted in a global project that is constantly spreading, says Lind.

Animals die

A large number of animals die each year as a result of marine litter.

– Seabirds are particularly vulnerable, but also other animals can tamper into the remnants of nets and nets that have been rinsed up on beaches. So-called micro plastic in the sea also represent a threat. The plastic entering the food chain so that contaminants can accumulate up to us humans, says Lind.

Last year, a total of 552 beaches, which together cover 320,000 meters of coastline, cleared of rubbish. It was also carried out several diving operations.

– Again this year, several divers work to pick up trash from the seabed, and canoeists and surfers will clean islets and reefs along the coast, says Mali Hole Skogen Keep Norway Clean .