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Large amounts of garbage removed from mangroves behind Festival Grounds

Garbage buildup among the mangroves behind the Festival Grounds on June 24, 2016. Photo: VINO
Clearing the mangroves of garbage. Photo: VINO
Clearing the mangroves of garbage. Photo: VINO
Public Service workers throwing in their lot to rid the mangroves of garbage. VINO
Public Service workers throwing in their lot to rid the mangroves of garbage. VINO
The cleanup activity was also seen as part of Public Service Week 2016. Photo: VINO
The cleanup activity was also seen as part of Public Service Week 2016. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - The mangroves behind the Festival Grounds have been the subject of wanton abuse, especially when there are activities at the said venue.

The area becomes the dumping ground for garbage of all sorts by vendors who conduct business in the Festival Grounds and patrons who opt to throw their garbage under and over the fence into the thick mangroves‎.

Then there are those culprits who litter other parts of the inland and people out at sea who litter the waterways.‎ These activities lead to more garbage accumulating among the mangroves.

On Friday June 24, 2016 a large number of persons from the public service departments of the territory embarked on a cleanup of the mangroves in that area.

When this news site visited the cleanup exercise, everyone was in high spirits, taking much pride in the cleanup process, which was also part of the activities for Public Service Week. They were doing it to earn their various groups, Panthers, Supersonics and Warriors, points and similarly to have fun.

“This is an area that we are all affected by, the entire community, and so we want people to know that it’s not just government’s duty to deal with the environment because we are a tourism territory and we just want to show them that it takes the government and the people to ensure that our territory is safe and clean,” said Ms Felina D. Moss, Office Manager at the Ministry of Communications and Works.

Moss was also one of the team coaches.

Community minded

One of the organisers on the ground, Colene A. Penn, said the cleanup event was also being viewed as a means of giving back to the community.

“We all have a duty to clean up and keep the BVI clean, so we as public officers, in having a week of activities, thought it was important to have this event where we can give back and show that we are community minded. We want to make a difference,” said Ms Penn.

The groups reportedly removed in excess of 100 bags of garbage from the mangroves.

17 Responses to “Large amounts of garbage removed from mangroves behind Festival Grounds”

  • Strict measurements (28/06/2016, 16:54) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Now strict measurements should be put in place to curb this area from being littered again.
  • i from here (28/06/2016, 18:08) Like (6) Dislike (14) Reply
    Archie Christian done tell ayo tell island people nasty
    • tretretrete (29/06/2016, 09:09) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply
      @ i from here, ya'll vehicle inside does be so nasty but yet ya'll still put the garbage on top of your vehicle it falls off and thats it left right there. Now tell me what more nasty than that. Island people is who does form groups and help clean up the place.
  • Eagle Eye (28/06/2016, 18:09) Like (40) Dislike (2) Reply
    Dats work for the jail man dem instead of up there eating free off of us
  • watching (28/06/2016, 20:24) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
    Littering should equal 100 hours of garbage cleanup or jailtime ... plus a fine . Have the guts to stop the CRIME .... just like everything else
  • dog (28/06/2016, 22:14) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
    clean until next time. There HAS to be fines and monitoring. that garbage has been there for months if not years.
    We talk a good game about protecting the environment, yet here we have evidence that people are still ignorant and irresponsible. Chances are a barrel was just feet away, but they are too lazy to take a step. Shame on you all!!
  • tgfdgrft (28/06/2016, 23:22) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    locals home and abroad are more hopeful, and corruption goes down once people take care of their country .
  • vick (29/06/2016, 07:02) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    well,we can not blame the edomites on this one.
  • Observer (29/06/2016, 07:06) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    How the hell people get so nasty in this place?
  • i from here (29/06/2016, 08:38) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    WOW! The amount of garbage I see in this pic is alarming!
  • VI 4Life (29/06/2016, 09:12) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    A lot of that trash found in the mangrove came from the boats in the marina (Moorings and Village Cay) while some is brought to the area by the guts from in-land. The Moorings and Village Cay should foot a portion of the cost of keeping the mangrove area clean.
  • Who are you? (29/06/2016, 10:35) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Government workers took off Friday, a paid day of work, to clean up garbage. Okay let's call that a give back because they weren't sitting in their offices doing facebook. Did any taxi drivers help out? Because they are a block that collects more than most of us, straight cash, off of tourism. I don't see them doing clean ups or anything to help keep the islands clean for the tourists they drive right past all that mess in the shirts the government have to provide. I guess some of us need to have more pride than others. I see where someone things that Moorings and Village Cay should help pay for keeping the mangrove clean. What about all the others who willfully throw garbage in there? Who foots the bill for that. We are really a piece of shite community. We take no responsibility for anything. It's them island people, them white people. Always someone else is responsible for everything. No wonder domestic violence is so rampant, that's a crime of no responsibility, she made me do it. That's why the criminals can whatsapp about killing someone and anyone else next to him, collateral damage. We need a whole hell of a lot more than church here. Man! Who are you people?
  • Nasty! (29/06/2016, 10:49) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just Nasty!
  • Tis Truth (29/06/2016, 13:08) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Dr. O'neal.

    There are concerns amongst the public with regards to the source and funding of various projects, including the housing propoals.

    It is hoped that the NDP has its finances in the minds and hands of the most competent accountants, with the greatest interest of the BVI people and country at heart.

    Mesanwhile, I applaud you for reconsidering the previous dael with the foriegn investor. Indeed, we must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices that will ensure our ability to stand on our own, maintain our soveriegnty and protect our lands for us the our future generations.

    These lands are ours!!! Period. I know that that statement is politically incorrect. Minus the political realitity of the notion of political overseas territory, bringing into view the spectrum of crown land, if those lands are not ours, how can any foriegn self proclaimed owner justify its ownership of them, considering the wy it came into supposed ownseship of them in the first.

    Where was the ligitimacy of ownership then? There was none!!! They went abroad seeking riches, the found and they took. That was the degree of political correctness back then.

    Hence, today, though the political obstacles will tough to almost insurmountable, we must fight to the bitter end to sucure what is legitimately ours!!
  • bam (29/06/2016, 17:34) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    The people too nasty....
  • cris (06/07/2016, 16:30) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    disgusting.... uneducated people are everywhere, people should learn not to throw garbage/plastic in nature, government should also educate and even fine those who dont get it...... garbage and especially plastic should go on proper places, garbage bags, bins, buckets


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