ParksWatch coordinated a beach clean-up campaign in Los Roques Archipelago National Park that took place September 21, 22, and 23. Private companies, like Confex Decorating Group and Ruta\’s Magazine, help to coordinate efforts. There were 25 volunteers and support from private companies and local governmental agencies working in the area. The clean-up campaign was held in honor of the \”International Beach Day.\”
During three days of intense labor, and a thorough cleaning of the Francisqui Keys and Pirate Key, our volunteers collected more than 600 bags of garbage! Mostly, they collected plastic garbage, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. This waste, in addition to spoiling the park\’s aesthetic value, threatens the park\’s ecosystem and animals. In addition, garbage can threaten residents\’ economic livelihoods by negatively affecting fishing and the growing tourism industry that is based on the park\’s spectacular coral reefs and water sports.
During our clean-up campaign, we noticed that some of the bottles, cans, and other discarded items were actually not products available in Venezuela-leading us to believe that this garbage has washed up onto Venezuelan shores from other places and/or cruise ships or other ships dumping into the sea. Nonetheless, many of the items were products available in Venezuelan and are probably dumped into the sea then wash up at Los Roques or are left on the beaches by residents and tourists. Because of this, we ask the tourists to refrain from leaving garbage on the park\’s pristine beaches and from tossing it into the crystalline waters.
In a recent ParksWatch-Venezuela evaluation of the state of conservation of Los Roques Archipelago National Park (May 2002), we identified contamination and solid wastes as threats to the park, especially to the most ecologically sensitive areas. One of the recommendations we provided Los Roques Park Profile was to conduct clean-up campaigns in the less touristy zones, involving people and institutions from different sectors of the country. That suggestion served as incentive for a group of Venezuelan businessmen/women to support this clean-up campaign.
In this clean-up campaign, ParksWatch-Venezuela participated with other organizations, such as Reto a la Esperanza, which is a NGO dedicated to reincorporating teens addicted to drugs into society. Thanks to logistical help and airline tickets on Sol de América Airlines donated by Allesandro Tasani, the general manager for Confex Decorating group, the teens involved in Reto a la Esperanza were able to participate in this clean-up campaign. Other private companies also supported the campaign, as did governmental agencies like INPARQUES, Los Roques Authority, and Simón Bolívar Geographic Institute.
Parkswatch-Venezuela hopes that this clean-up campaign represents only the beginning of many initiatives aimed at conserving Venezuela\’s natural places and national parks. While it is important to keep our beaches clean, we hope that in the end, all communities will actively participate to help conserve our natural resources.
ParksWatch-Venezuela: October 2003