Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment (ag), Chanlah Codrington is urging residents and nationals to join the rest of the world in observing the annual International Coastal Clean –up Day, on September 19^th.

International Coastal Cleanup, is the world’s largest volunteer effort to help protect our ocean and waterways.

“The ocean is our life support system yet marine debris continues to threaten its health. Trash littering our beaches and choking our ecosystems is a threat to wildlife, our coastal economies, and ultimately to the ability of the ocean to sustain us,” said codrington.

He explained that the effort gives everyone an opportunity to work in their backyards and be a part of this special movement for our oceans.

Codrington noted that, each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers from around the world spend a few hours removing trash and debris from beaches, ponds, and water ways while keeping track of every piece of trash they find.

The minister added that residences in Antigua and Barbuda should do likewise, to protect their environment and marine resources.

According to Codrington, the Ocean Conservancy in other countries uses that information to produce an annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris.

During the 2008 Cleanup nearly 400,000 volunteers removed 6.8 million pounds of debris, from 6,485 sites in 100 countries and 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

“The ocean is the engine that drives our planet’s climate. It is our life support system, providing much of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the resources we depend on for life every day. The ocean is essential for life. Unfortunately, the ocean will be the first ecosystem to suffer widespread effects of global climate change,” said Codrington.