Quang Ngai (VNA) - A group of 500volunteers from the group for Ly Son No Plastic Waste and local islandersjoined a beach clean-up activity on March 8.

Le Xuan Tho, a volunteer, said the group pickedup garbage along the coast of the island and An Binh islet – three miles awayfrom the main island – with the spirit of creating a “Green-Clean-Beautiful”environment.

Tho said residents of the island alsoparticipated in an earlier event to clean up the coral reefs and rocks 20moffshore. The Volunteers also hosted a communication campaign to talk withlocal islanders about pollution and plastic waste and offer suggestions on howto reduce single-use bags.

He said most and plastic waste came fromtourists, even though signs encouraging environmental protection were set up atdestinations and ports.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched acommunication campaign to discourage the use of plastic bags as a prelude toits sea turtle conservation programme on the island from 2018.

IUCN said the campaign aims to raise awareness amongislanders and tourists of the need to create clean and safe marine areas forsea turtles to return to the island in the near future.

The island – as well as a vast coastal area inthe districts of Binh Son, Tra Bong, Ba To, Sa Huynh, Nghia Hanh and Quang Ngaicity on a total of 2,000sq.km – is being considered for designation as a GlobalGeo-Park by UNESCO.

Ly Son island, known as the “Kingdom of Garlic”,has around 21,000 inhabitants, 73 percent of whom make their living fromfarming garlic and spring onions, alongside fishing. It hosts around 200,000tourists each year.-VNA