Call for Volunteers – 2023 Cameroon Beach Clean-up

Cameroon’s coasts host a unique and rich ecosystem, yet no fixed date has been designated to keep the 15,143 km² coastline clean. The Cameroonian Government and its partners, however, are giving better recognition to the coastal regions that merge the country to the Atlantic Ocean (ENVI-REP Cameroon, 2011). Our recent surveys and assessments show that the coastal regions, particularly Kribi, Douala and Limbe-Idenau beaches, are affected by marine pollution, mechanical habitat destruction, and garbage disposal.
Research reveals that our beaches in Cameroon face a growing problem of plastic littering and poor waste mismanagement. Rubbish accumulates on the beach, discarded by visitors to the area and washed up from the ocean. Plastic pollution directly affects marine species and coral reefs. The accumulation of trash on the reefs and the beaches affects both tourism and fishing industries, as experienced by the communities near Limbe beach.
In order to help solve this problem, ASCOA intends to carry out regular and effective activities to maintain Cameroon’s beaches clean and trash-free. Accordingly, ASCOA intends to continue carrying out regular and effective advocacy, capacity-building, community awareness, and education activities, and implement beach cleanup every January. In that light ASCOA will carry out the first edition of this cleanup day with over 1000 volunteers, in over 10 different coastlines in the southwest region on the 21st of January 2023 under the title “Cameroon Beach Cleanup Day”
The overall objective/goal of this project is to contribute to the enlargement of the global network of stakeholders combating marine pollution and the conservation of sustainable use of zones by setting up Cameroon Beach Cleanup Day as an annual event, creating a prototype of multi-functional beach support unit and advocating for a clean ocean. The outcome is the creation of a national significant CAMEROON BEACH CLEANUP DAY, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders.

Goals/Objectives
• To establish a day-CAMEROON BEACH CLEANUP DAY that will be commemorated and celebrated every year.
• To create a network of Cameroon Coastal Advocates that will foster the activities of beach cleanups and to prevent marine debris by involving stakeholders, fishermen and women so as to widen the impact of the Cameroon Beach Cleanup Day.
• To ensure a safe and clean coastal environment by carrying out beach cleanup activities to remove plastic debris and refuse found along the Cameroon Coastline
• To encourage recycling by bringing together recycling companies for effective recycling of plastic collected during beach cleanup