TourismToday

Nearly 40 young men from Cat Island made a clear impact on the coastal environment after participating in a beach cleanup that was headed by the National Coastal Awareness Committee (NCAC).

The boys, ages 11 to 16, took pride in working together to address one of the challenges currently facing their community. Like some other islands, Cat Island is grappling with the problem of dumping in the ocean. Garbage from international cargo ships has been washing up on beaches.
Recently, the NCAC joined forces with corporate sponsors and volunteers to assist Cat Island residents, particularly in Bennett’s Harbour and Arthur’s Town.

Chairman of the NCAC, Mr. Earlston McPhee, said one of the committee’s goals is to sensitize residents about the issue of dirty beaches, and one way to accomplish this is by getting Bahamians involved at an early age. As part of the beach cleaning initiative, NCAC and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) are working together to open the Discovery Club on that island.

Discovery Club is a BNT program that teaches children to conserve and protect the natural resources of the Bahamas through stewardship and education.

“Everyone comes to see our beautiful beaches,” said 14-year-old Jerique Russell of Cat Island said. “It’s good to keep the beaches clean so that the tourists will come back.”

When asked what he is prepared to do to support his island, Shevin Simmons, a student at the Arthur’s Town High School said, “I will always want it (the beach) to be clean, so I’ll clean it and tell other people to help me out.”

“I want them (tourists) to see that the beaches are clean and when they come, I want them to take pictures and say that the beach is alright.”

The NCAC plans to use social media to expose the international community to the plight of indiscriminate dumping by cargo ships in the islands.

“We plan to put it on Facebook, various blogs and Youtube, so persons could see what small communities with minimum resources have to face with this issue that’s not their fault,” Mr. McPhee said. “Large international cargo ships that are making millions of dollars are just indiscriminately dumping in our ocean.”

The NCAC chairman also indicated that Cat Island is not alone in the fight against littering and pollution. Islands such as Eleuthera and Crooked Island are dealing with the same issue, he said.

Several people from Nassau joined the Cat Island residents in the beach cleanup, which was the NCAC considered to be a success. Approximately 150 volunteers assisted. Among them were 20 Discovery Club students from Kingsway Academy in Nassau.