This call was made by members of staff of the National Bank during their recent beach clean-up at Cockleshell Beach last Saturday (6th August 2011). This community project was undertaken in collaboration with the Parks and Beaches Unit.
At the end of the exercise, staff collected over four hundred and eighty (480) pounds of debris. Members of staff said they were disappointed to see items such as, discarded clothing, food wrappers to baby diapers and plastic plates strewn across our beautiful coastline.
St Kitts and Nevis boasts some of the most pristine beaches in the world and the beaches are considered major assets that contribute to the tourism industry.
For this reason, Kittitian and Nevisians must do their utmost to protect the beaches from trash and debris that can be harmful to our local marine wildlife, damage our island’s economy, and ultimately become a human health hazard.
A number of sea turtles, birds, and other animals are injured and killed because of dangerous items we allow into the sea. They are poisoned, choked, or entangled in the trash that people leave behind, from leaky paint cans to empty yogurt cups to cast-off fishing line. Trash also poses as health threats to residents by contaminating our marine environment.
Mr. Anthony Galloway, Chair of the Community Outreach Committee commented on the issue. “Whether we live along the shore or miles inland, we are all intimately connected to the ocean. It drives and moderates our tropical climate. It is the ultimate source of much of the water we drink and much of the air we breathe. It directly feeds thousands of people. Trash doesn’t fall from the sky, it falls from human hands. And human hands have the power to stop it.”
National Bank invites you, your friends, neighbours, family, and colleagues to make a difference to work together to keep the beaches of St. Kitts and Nevis clean.
This project is the 12th event in the 40th Anniversary calendar of activities.