Clean-up campaign at Al Mirfa beach

The campaign was organised by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) in collaboration with the West Region Municipality, Civil Defence and private cleaning companies in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi.

Several government and private institutions in the emirate also participated in the event.

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The drive at Mirfa, about 150 km from Abu Dhabi, is the second in a series of clean-up projects, which started last week along the coast in Mussafah, the industrial area of Abu Dhabi.

The projects are part of EAD Marine Debris Awareness Campaign, which was launched to create public awareness on the dangers of waste and rubbish left on the beaches or in the waters, as they pose a potential threat to the health of humans and marine flora and fauna.

During the clean-up, which began at 8.30am at Al Mirfa Public Beach and continued till 10.30am, the area was cleared of debris and litter that otherwise would have ended up in the sea, harming the UAE's fragile biodiversity and affecting swimmers and fishermen's livelihoods.

Massive quantities of waste and debris were collected. including remnants of boats and fishing gear, waste wood, plastic and glasses, all reaching up to 7,245 kg, in addition to the large marine debris which was not possible to weigh.

Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of EAD's Marine Environment Research Centre (MERC), said these clean-up campaigns were being accompanied by a comprehensive awareness and educational programmes on marine debris, targeting a wide spectrum of the population, especially fishermen and boat owners.