Clean Ocean Force (COF), one of the country’s leading environmental organisations recently conducted special clean up missions in Pannai and Gurunagar, Jaffna. Located behind the Jaffna Fort, Pannai is a historic, scenic location that attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists.
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However, there is a high level of pollution with debris such as plastic bottles, polystyrene boxes, slippers and shoes that has built up over a long period of time, that urgently needed attention.
COF consists of a community of dedicated citizens who manually remove plastic, debris, and other manmade pollutants from beaches primarily. COF’s mandate is to initiate and make change. Despite limited resources teams traverse the country to implement impactful and sustainable programs while contributing to the ‘blue economy’.
According to Jerome Fernando, Founder COF, ‘We need regulations and resources to address these issues. You need to connect with ground implementation partners like us to understand the challenges and how we mitigate these challenges. An effective regulatory, educational and action plan is required. It’s vital that all ground implementation organisations are properly empowered with resources.’
The COF in Jaffna is headed by Manoharan Sasikaran who continues to identify and target hotspots for pollution control. The Jaffna COF Women’s Force is a key strength in the organisation’s successful implementation of clean-up programs. COF strongly believes in partnerships for success. Hemas Holdings PLC has been a valuable partner in Jaffna for three years, helping to drive the organisation’s successful efforts.
Meanwhile at Gurunagar beach in Jaffna, the ever-present issue of Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) presents a significant environmental challenge
Since 2023, COF has been conducting daily beach clean-ups in Gurunagar, Point Pedro, and Valvettithurai, focusing on removing plastic waste, including ‘ghost nets’, from the coastline.
The Jaffna Women’s Force plays a key role in these efforts by undertaking daily beach clean-ups to protect the coastal and marine environment while improving their livelihoods.
During the recent Gurunagar mission, COF constantly found broken or damaged fishing nets, traps, and other fishing items. These cause huge negative impacts on the marine environment, including entanglement of marine animals and navigational hazards. In addition, since these nets are made of nylon or polyethylene, they break down into micro-plastics that enter the food chain and eventually end up in the human stomachs.
As Jerome stressed, ‘Sri Lankan fishing communities do not have proper waste management for these fishing nets. The repair cost is often higher than buying a new net. We first need to collaborate with stakeholders who have better technologies, funds and knowledge in order to introduce innovative waste management technologies and proper disposal methods for these nets.’
Photos: Courtesy facebook.com/cleanoceanforce
