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The Government has announced it will be supporting UK Overseas Territories fight plastic pollution via funding.
Plastic pollution will be on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean will be monitored and reduced via a new scheme which will aim to reduce the amount of plastic used by those living on the island and will establish a recycling programme for waste plastic.
In addition, a marine debris monitoring programme will be established along St Helena’s coastline to better understand this issue. Local school children and communities will be engaged in the project through an educational outreach programme.
Protect
Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, said: “We must protect our oceans and marine life from plastic waste if we are to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it.
“Protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the UK’s Overseas Territories will help to make crucial activities such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism more sustainable.”
‘Fantastic opportunity’
St Helena Government’s Director of Environment & Natural Resources, Derek Henry, added: “This project provides a fantastic opportunity for St Helena to become involved in reducing the amount of plastic that enters our marine ecosystem.
“It will involve the whole community and will educate and set up the processes for monitoring and reducing plastic waste to create a better marine environment around our Island.”
The fund is administered by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Defra] and the Department for International Development [DFID] and uses the UK Government’s Official Development Assistance.
