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MALHAHA DISTRICT
SCHOOL POSTER
Objectives
of the Coastline Cleanup In
association with the Dive In to Earth Day celebrations (15-22 April
2002) LäjeRotuma, the Island's Health Inspector and community youth
trainers on the island, coordinated a coastline cleanup:
1)
to remove debris 2)
to collect valuable information on the amount and type of debris 3)
and use the information collected to effect positive change.
Actions The
cleanup was carried out a week before Rotuma Day celebrations. Rotumans all
over the world celebrate on May 13th, the Deed of Cession of Rotuma
to Great Britain in 1881. LäjeRotuma
enlisted a trained volunteer from Suva to represent the core group at
the island cleanup. It was a dawn cleanup along the coastline during
low tide. Volunteers use woven baskets to collect the debris picked
at the beach. Then debris sorted, recorded before buried in pits dug
out by volunteers. There were a total 422 participants which included
youths, parents and school children. The cleanups per district were
coordinated by LäjeRotuma community youth trainer(s) and the visiting
Health Inspector. The dates below basically outlined the schedule for
the coordinated first island coastline cleanup 2002:
April
26 Community youth trainers' meeting with
Health Inspector May 4 Noatau District Cleanup 6
Oinafa District 7
Malhaha District 8
Itumuta District 9
Juju District 10
Pepjei District 11
Ituti'u District May 13 Rotuma (Cession) Day Celebrations
Outcome
Results
Note: The graph demonstrates the amount of debris (in percentage) collected per district during the week-long cleanup. It also reflects the level of participation as witnessed by the organizers: the more people, the more debris collected!
A good percentage of broken glass collected are from beer bottles. Corn beef & Tinfish cans representative of the cans category. Household rubbish included cloth, nylon lines, shoes, batteries, roofing iron and metal scrap.
Recommendations Participants in the first ever coordinated Island coastline cleanup
agree that 'to effect positive change', cleanups be done at least annually.
However, it is anticipated that for every six months, initiatives be
taken at village level to organize their cleanups. For collection and
proper disposal of cleanup-debris, dug out pits are recommended in isolated
spots and away from Ôplanted coconut trees'. LäjeRotuma is to follow
up with its debris-data collection, to monitor the effectiveness of
the environmental marine awareness development programs carried out
throughout the year.
Partners The
Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) Global
Coral Reef Monitoring Network International
Coral Reef Initiative South
Pacific Regional Environmental Programme Caribbean
Environment Programme East
Asian Seas Regional Seas Programme Eastern
African Regional Seas Programme United
Nations Foundation The
World Fish Center (ICLARM) UNEP-
World Conservation Monitoring Center World
Resources Institute International
Ocean Institute- Pacific Islands PADI
Project AWARE Foundation PADI
Foundation Rotuma
Website- Alan Howard Fiji
Government Rotuma
Island Council
LäjeRotuma
acknowledge the assistance of Rotuma
Health Inspector- Mr Henry Vafo'ou District
Officer- Rotuma LäjeRotuma
Island Coordinator- Marseu Manueli LäjeRotuma
volunteer- David Solomone Community
Youth Trainers- Fanny, James, Hazel (Tuakoi), Mareta (Tuai) Mata,
Righun, Ritie (Oinafa District), Veronica, Marsefo (Pepjei),Faga, Junior
(Noatau) Communities
of Noatau, Oinafa, Pepjei, Juju, Malhaha, Ituti'u, Itumuta Paptea District School Malhaha District School Christ the King Motusa District School Rotuma Island Council International Ocean Institute- Prof. Robin South, Joeli Veitayaki Department of Environment, Fiji - Library Services |
