The KOICA Alumni Association of Ghana (KAAG), last Saturday embarked on a massive cleanup exercise at the Vienna City Beach in Accra.

The five-hour cleanup exercise was part of the Association’s initiative of raising awareness on the need to keep the country’s beaches and oceans clean, for relaxation and pleasure.

The Association rid the beach of debris to mitigate the problem caused by ocean debris and the danger that plastic pollution poses to marine life.

The President of KAAG, Madam Lovia Afoakwa said the exercise was to ensure the ocean becomes clean to make it easier for fishers to make a living.

“This beach cleaning exercise is aligned to the Government of Ghana’s desire to conserve our water bodies as was emphasized at the recently held national blue economy summit, and also in our small way, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals especially goals 6, 13, 14, and 15.

Interestingly, around the time Ghana held its first blue economic summit, Korea also held its first international cooperation conference on oceans and fisheries. So we continue to have things in common” she said.

Madam Afoakwa said cleaning the beaches was not a one-man responsibility but a task for all and sundry to embark on a similar initiative in promoting a clean environment.

She urged the public to stop littering, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the ocean and open spaces, and appealed to all residents and corporate institutions to keep their surroundings clean at all times to prevent environmental pollution.

The Country Director for Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Mr Seungmin applauded the Association for embarking on such an initiative, and said, KOICA was also committed and working with Civil Society Organisations in promoting good sanitation practice
BY BERNARD BENGHAN