The Hanover Parish Development Committee (HPDC) will partner with local stakeholders to clean the Lucea Fisherman’s Beach, as part of its observation of International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day 2022, on Saturday, September 17.

President of the HPDC, Mrs. Petra Vernon Foster, told JIS News that the Committee will join with fisher-folk from the Johnson Town, Elgin Town and Lucea communities, as well as staff from the Grand Palladium Hotel, to remove debris, refuse and other solid waste material from the beach.

“Additionally, there is a lot of bamboo and plastic … that came from the Riley River,” Mrs. Vernon Foster said, pointing out that recent rains in the area resulted in the flooding of parts of the Lucea coastline and parts of the town, which are below sea level.

The beach and other parts of the Lucea shoreline are strewn with bamboo and other solid waste from the deluge. While corrective work is slated to be carried out in the vicinity of the bridge and along the banks of the river, fisher-folk and other users of the beach have volunteered to clear their work and recreational spaces.

According to Mrs. Vernon Foster, the HPDC along with Councillor for the Lucea Division, Mr. Easton Edwards, will be co-ordinating the project, with much of the work being done by the approximately 30 fisher-folk and other volunteers.

The Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, an arm of National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), is expected to carry out post clean-up collections.

The project is registered with the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), Mrs.Vernon Foster advised.