New intervention in fight for cleaner oceans
Environmentalists north of Durban have taken a stand against ocean pollution by installing a litter boom at the Umhlanga lagoon.
The boom - designed to trap litter and prevent it from entering the ocean - was launched in celebration of World Oceans Day on Friday. The initiative was driven by the Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct and Plastics SA, among others.
The UIP’s Cara Reilly says they want to reduce the amount of litter washing into the sea from the Ohlanga river.
"What it does is that it literally sits on the surface of the water and acts as a trap that prevents all the floating litter, which is predominantly plastic, from washing down into the estuary and into the sea. It then allows for that litter to be collected at one point", she said.
Reilly says the boom does not pose a risk to any species found in the lagoon.
"We have had a few people concerned that it is some kind of gill net, but it has nothing to do with fishing or netting. Because it sits on the surface of the water it does not affect any of the marine life", she said.