Fishermen in Zanzibar, Tanzania. /CFP
Tanzanian authorities on Monday called for efforts to protect Tanzania's beaches along the Indian Ocean from pollution.
"The beaches are often littered with garbage, including used plastics, which not only pollute the beaches, but also present an eyesore for visitors," Selemani Jafo, minister of State in the Vice President's Office responsible for Union and Environment, said in a statement.
A view of coral reefs and the underwater ecosystem at Bawe Island in Zanzibar, Tanzania on June 23, 2023. Zanzibar, an island of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, is home to more than 100 different corals and more than 500 species of aquatic life. The increasing water temperature due to global climate change are negatively affecting the ecosystem of coral reefs. /CFP
Jafo assigned the local government the responsibility to ensure robust pollution control measures on the beaches.
He also suggested that local government authorities explore ways to incentivize youth groups to collect plastic and other litter from beaches.
According to the Tanzania National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting Report, 29,000 tonnes of plastics were released into the Indian Ocean, rivers, and lakes in 2018.