The Alexandria Regional Branch of the Ministry of Environment carried out a large-scale campaign to clean up the seabed in the eastern harbor area of Alexandria with the participation of a number of fishermen and representatives of civil society.

During the activities, a number of boats were used and fishermen in the area participated, where nearly 100 kg of plastic and metal waste, fishing nets, and old ropes were removed. After sorting, this waste was directed to recycling factories to produce materials with economic returns.

Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, explained that these activities aim to contribute to reducing marine pollution in the eastern harbor area.

It is also one of the measures being implemented to fulfill Egypt’s international obligations towards implementing the Regional Plan for Marine Litter emanating from the United Nations Environment Programme, in accordance with the Barcelona Convention.

Marine litter, especially plastic, has many negative effects on the lives of turtles and marine organisms, which negatively affect the environment and may decompose and reach humans through seafood.

In addition, this historical waste, which has accumulated on the seabed over the past decades, has a negative impact on the quality and transparency of the water, which marine organisms need.