Page 10 - 17-19 di augustus 2019

A16 LOCAL
Saturday 17 auguSt 2019

Aruba acts to protect endangered coral reefs

ORANJESTAD — Less than In its effort to save the cor-
a year after announcing al reefs, the nursery will be
a total ban on the use of used to rehabilitate frag-
single-use plastic, Aruba mented reef until it be-
has intensified its mea- comes sufficiently mature
sures to protect its endan- to be transplanted onto
gered coral reefs. In what is the coral reef by Scubble
claimed to be “the biggest Bubble divers.
voluntarism project” on the In 2017, the island’s author-
island over a thousand vol- ity banned the use of all
unteers - locals and visitors single-use plastic bags, a
alike – will congregate on measure that was extend-
the beaches of the Dutch ed the following year to
Caribbean island for the include plastic cups, straws
Aruba Reef Care Project on and Styrofoam boxes. The
19 September. ban will be transitioned
in until 2020. At the same
The volunteers efforts to time, sunscreens with oxy-
clean both snorkel and benzone, which damage
dive sites, and beaches, is the coral, will also be ban-
now supplemented by a ished from the island.
coral nursery, funded by Aruba intends to be fossil-
Aloe Aruba, which was free by the year 2020 in its
recently unveiled in Sava- continued efforts to pre-
neta. Historically, Savaneta serve the island’s natural
was the island’s capital up environment and preserve
to 1797. its endangered coral reefs.
Aloe Aruba, which also Since 1995, the Aruba Reef the need to preserve the If you can’t make the a clean sweep of Aruba
produces coral-safe sun- Care Project has been per- sea environment. If you are September date, an an- beaches.q
screen, is partnering local haps the best known as well interested in volunteering nual National Coastal
youth diving group Scub- as largest volunteer envi- for the organization, email Clean-Up Day is carried Credits: Facebook & website
ble Bubbles, to help restore ronmental initiative on the Castro Perez at castroper- out each November, dur- Travel begins at 40
the island’s coral reefs. island, raising awareness of ez@gmail.com. ing which volunteers make