A group of 71 volunteers from nine organizations came together to clean up the maritime surroundings of San Lucas Island National Park on June 8, 2023. The cleanup was part of the Floating Solid Waste Cleanup Campaign, which was held in conjunction with World Ocean Day and the 45th anniversary of the Cocos Island National Park.
The volunteers collected a total of 445 kilograms of waste, including plastic bottles, bags, and straws. The waste was collected from the water and shoreline of the island.
The cleanup was organized by the Cocos Island Friends Foundation (FAICO) and the Cocos Marine Conservation Area (ACMC). The participating organizations included Pacific Marine Park, Puerto Limpio, Youth and Climate Change Network, Puntarenas Tour Operators Association, the Puntarenas Chamber of Tourism, and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute.
The goal of the cleanup was to raise awareness about the problem of marine pollution and to encourage people to take steps to reduce their waste.
“Our interest is to raise awareness about how the whole ocean is interconnected,” said Alejandra Villalobos, Executive Director of FAICO. “What happens in the Gulf of Nicoya or on our Pacific coast significantly impacts our entire marine area. We cannot wait for pollution to reach Cocos Island, where five marine currents converge.
That is why we are here today with our allies, demonstrating to Costa Rica that even if you live in the Central Valley or on the coast, you can generate significant impacts on the health of our Cocos Island and all the important marine ecosystems in the country.”
The volunteers were divided into teams and assigned different areas of the island to clean. They used a variety of tools, including nets, rakes, and sweeping devices, to collect the waste. The waste was then taken to specialized collection centers for sorting and determining possible uses.
“This activity demonstrates that ocean conservation is not a matter of just one institution,” said Gina Cuza, Regional Director of the Coco Marine Conservation Area. “It is a responsibility that we must assume as a country, as a society, where each of us must contribute to conserving a marine ecosystem that we need so much.”
The cleanup was a success, and the volunteers were able to remove a significant amount of waste from the island. However, the problem of marine pollution is a global one, and it will take the efforts of everyone to address it.
If you would like to help, there are a number of things you can do. You can reduce your own waste by recycling, composting, and avoiding single-use plastics. You can also support organizations that are working to protect the ocean.
Together, we can make a difference!
