Trash was found once again on Little Bay Beach less than a month after the ICC clean-up. Organisers call for greater public responsibility and government enforcement.
LITTLE BAY--Less than a month after hundreds of volunteers collected hundreds of kilograms of litter from Little Bay Beach and Pond during the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), trash has once again accumulated along the beach, prompting organisers to call for greater public responsibility and stronger government enforcement.
During the September 19 clean-up, 180 volunteers collected 691 kilograms of litter and debris from Little Bay Beach and Pond. Across St. Maarten and French Saint-Martin, the wider ICC effort collected a total of 1,554 kilograms of waste. Despite the effort, organisers say Little Bay Beach has again been littered, raising concerns about the continued treatment of public coastal areas and the burden placed on volunteers who repeatedly take part in clean-ups.
Organisers stressed that individuals have a responsibility to dispose of their rubbish properly and respect the natural environment. They also called for stronger government action, including enforcement against illegal dumping and the implementation of long-promised measures such as Plastic Free legislation aimed at reducing single-use plastics.
Concerns were also raised about what organisers described as apparent construction waste and filling material that may be encroaching on public beach space. “At a time when access to public beaches is already under increasing pressure from development, it is particularly concerning to see these areas being treated with such disregard,” organisers stated.
“Volunteers should not have to keep cleaning up after those who refuse to take responsibility. Protecting our beaches means not only keeping them accessible to the public, but also taking responsibility for keeping them clean and healthy,” they added.
The International Coastal Clean-up brought together local organisations and volunteers to remove waste from coastal areas and record the debris collected. Participating organisations included the St. Maarten Pride Foundation, Clean St. Martin Association, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, St. Maarten Development Fund, Saint Martin Trails and Les Sauveteurs en Mer (SNSM).
The latest concerns underscore the challenge of maintaining clean beaches beyond organised clean-up events, with organisers calling for both individual responsibility and government action to protect the island’s coastal environment.
