The clean-up took place on Saturday, 20 December, and focused on the cobblestone beach near the harbor area. Participants from the contractor Ballast Nedam collected marine debris and waste that had washed ashore, including plastic and glass bottles, ropes, and several larger discarded items. In total, more than ten large bags of waste were removed from the shoreline, along with larger objects such as a damaged buoy, gas cylinders, a diving cylinder, and a fiberglass water tank.
Every year, more than 11 million tons of plastic enter the oceans, the equivalent of a garbage truck dumping plastic into the sea every single minute. This pollution has devastating consequences. Marine animals often mistake plastic for food, causing their stomachs to fill with indigestible waste. As a result, they suffer from internal injuries, starvation, and, in many cases, death. Seabirds, turtles, marine mammals, and fish are all severely affected, while microplastics continue to contaminate marine food chains. If current trends continue, scientists warn that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans.
Public Entity Saba welcomes initiatives that contribute to environmental protection alongside major infrastructure projects. While construction activities are ongoing at the new harbor site, care for the surrounding natural environment remains an important consideration.
The clean-up was organized by members of the Saba project team from Ballast Nedam, currently consisting of 35 personnel on island, including carpenters, plumbers, masons, electricians, operators and support staff.
Public Entity Saba thanks everyone involved for their contribution and encourages continued awareness and responsible waste disposal to help protect Saba’s natural environment, both on land and at sea.
