West Sumatra Governor: Vulnerable Beach Polluted From Plastic And Industrial Waste

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi/ Photo: Antara

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi said coastal areas, especially those that become tourist destinations, are vulnerable to various threats of waste pollution, both from domestic human activities, industry, to sea transportation, such as oil spills.

"We must be more concerned about maintaining the cleanliness of this beach together so as not to damage the environment, as well as creating a bad image of tourism because most coastal areas are tourist destinations," Mahyeldi said in Padang, quoting Antara, Thursday, May 18. According to him, clean-up actions are part of efforts to raise awareness of all parties about the importance of cleanliness and environmental sustainability, especially in tourist destination areas, such as beaches, which are prone to plastic waste pollution and other pollutants. If there is no shared awareness to deal with waste problems, he said, there will be a buildup so that the burden of pollution can have an impact on the comfort of visitors and the preservation of marine biota, such as fish and coral reefs. "In it, it must be thoroughly upstream-il and continuous, through collaborative work that is collective in nature. It cannot be done only partially by one party, because of its dynamic movement," he said. Mahyeldi also said, awareness of various elements of environmental problems is good enough so it remains to maintain consistency.

Meanwhile, the Head of the West Sumatra Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Service, Reti Wafda, said that the beach's clean action was based on the spirit of saving marine life from the threat of pollution., which can move from one coastal area to another, following the pattern of ocean currents.

According to him, this is a challenge that must be found immediately. "Moreover, public awareness of environmental cleanliness, especially related to plastic waste, is still low, so there needs to be quick anticipation before it accumulates and causes pollution," he said. According to him, this issue not only has a negative impact on environmental sustainability and the tourism sector, but can also threaten the lives of fishermen.