The problem of plastic waste in the sea has become a major concern for the marine environment and ecology, causing serious impacts on aquatic species and the ecosystem at the bottom of the ocean. However, in Quang Binh, fishermen have taken practical actions to change their habits, contributing to protecting the marine environment.
The model of "Collecting waste from the sea to the shore and turning waste into money" implemented by the Women's Union of Quang Phu commune (Dong Hoi city) since August 2022 has changed the awareness of fishermen. Instead of throwing waste into the sea, boats now collect plastic waste and bring it to shore for sorting and processing. This not only helps protect the marine environment but also creates a fund to support disadvantaged children in the locality from the sale of recycled items.
One of the bright spots in the marine protection movement is the garbage collection model of fishermen in Canh Duong commune, Quang Trach district. Fisherman Nguyen Ngoc Dung (48 years old), owner of a fishing boat, shared that in the past, on each sea trip, his boat dumped a lot of garbage into the sea, and this has happened every year, seriously affecting the marine environment.
However, after being informed, the fishermen here have changed their behavior. Now, they collect all the waste on their boats and bring it back to shore for disposal.
Models of education and environmental protection awareness have been strongly implemented in many localities, such as the program "Bringing waste to shore" and "Millions of gifts to share love" of the Women's Union of Bao Ninh commune. These programs not only help reduce plastic waste but also bring humanitarian meaning when the money from selling recycled items is used to support poor children and women. These models have achieved encouraging results, when in the first 3 months, the groups collected about 7,500 plastic bottles, cans and 200kg of plastic bags, creating a support fund worth 20 million VND.
According to the Quang Binh Fisheries Department, the province currently has 6,229 boats, of which about 1,500 are offshore fishing boats, the rest are small-capacity boats fishing in coastal areas. Each year, the average amount of waste is 70-80 kg/boat. Therefore, the estimated amount of waste from offshore fishing boats is about 80-100 tons/year.
To date, more than 700 offshore fishing vessels in the province have participated in the plastic waste collection model. Each year, the amount of waste collected from these vessels is estimated at 50-60 tons. The vessels will be equipped with sacks to contain recyclable and non-recyclable waste. When the vessels dock, local authorities will assist in collecting and treating the waste. In addition, the vessel owners also sign a commitment to collect waste on each sea voyage, helping to effectively protect the marine environment.
