SLN cleared marine plastic debris in Trincomalee
November 03, 2020Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) launched a programme to clear the marine waste deposited in the seabed, at the Trincomalee seafront yesterday (Nov 02).
The programme was underway with a view to curb the menace of legacy of marine debris generated due to intensive use of plastic and polythene.
Unlike floating marine plastic waste, mostly the marine plastic debris deposited in the seabed is required to be picked through diving operations.
Since the plastic and polythene trash are light in its weight, they are prone to tangle in the ocean current and spread elsewhere time to time.
Marine species and seabirds are dying from bits of plastic litter jammed in their digestive systems.
Meanwhile, some subaquatic marine species are being harmed by entangling polythene and plastic waste during their lifespan.
Bearing the potential future environmental disaster in mind, SLN extends their most concentrated supportive measures to ensure the cleanliness of the coastal belt and seabed around the island and to prevent the harm taking place to marine ecosystems and its biodiversity.
The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) had focused on the coastline from Koneshwaram to the District General Hospital, Trincomalee during the programme.
The event saw a large collection of marine litter including plastic and polythene those deposited and floated off the coast, picked by the ENC diving team.
A team from Trincomalee Police also joined the marine waste cleaning programme.
