OCHO RIOS, St Ann — It took 15 volunteers from the Sandals Foundation a mere four hours to remove 250 pounds of garbage from the shorelines and seabed of Fisherman’s Beach in the coastal town of St Ann’s Bay, their way to mark International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day.

“Our team members felt so happy to go out because… we understand and appreciate what it means to protect our environment,” said Sandals Resorts Regional Public Relations Manager Lyndsay Isaacs, who led the group during the November 9. 2021 exercise.

Plastic bottles and containers made up the bulk of the garbage collected, followed by Styrofoam boxes.

“A lot of the garbage is coming from in the town of St Ann’s Bay and washing onto the shore. So our message to everybody is to dispose of their garbage properly. Do not throw it on the street because it is washing down and harming our beaches and affecting the fish,” appealed Isaacs.

She said the team did a detailed check of the beach, determined to remove even the smallest item of rubbish. The waste collected was properly sorted and then removed by the National Solid Waste Management.

“It was really pleasing to see how much our efforts were important in helping with the cleaning of our environment,” said Tennessee Tate, one of two concierge agents from Sandals Ocho Rios Beach Resort who turned out for the clean-up.

To ensure long-term benefits, those who use the beach the most – area residents – were given tips on the role they can play.

“We educated community members and fishermen who were there about the importance of keeping the beach clean and protecting our environment because if we don’t ensure that they understand the importance then the beach will be back in that deplorable state before we know it,” said Isaacs.

— Akera Davis