Foreigners join ocean waste clean-up in Vietnam’s Mui Ne

More than 100 youth union members, border guards, police officers, military personnel, and local residents joined the clean-up at the beach in Residential Group 6, taking advantage of low tide to collect the waste and restore the beach, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Earlier, residents and other local forces had also organized  clean-up along the seawall in Residential Group 8, where large amounts of ocean waste had accumulated.

Tourists and foreigners living in Mui Ne also enthusiastically joined these activities.

A Canadian, identified as Maria, said she and her family had lived in the area for many years because they loved its beaches, environment, and air.

She said they could not sit by after seeing the beautiful beaches threatened by waste.

"Responding to a call from a community group, we joined the clean-up in the hope that if everyone contributes a little time and effort, the beaches will become cleaner and remain a space for people to enjoy," she said.

The waste included tree branches, pieces of wood, foam boxes, fishing gear, disposable plastic cups and bowls, nylon bags, old clothes, and other debris.

The collected waste was sorted, packed into large sacks, and transported by specialized vehicles for disposal, with heavily affected areas prioritized for the clean-up.

Nguyen Ngoc Dan, head of Residential Group 8, said community involvement in protecting the marine environment not only helped remove the washed-up waste but also raised awareness among residents and tourists about reducing littering.

Residents said large amounts of ocean waste had been washing ashore for about two weeks.

The phenomenon occurs annually in Mui Ne, usually from June to October when southwest winds are strong, according to local residents.

The waste tends to accumulate along sections of the coast, in secluded spots and areas where the terrain traps debris, they said.

Tran Thi Hanh, a resident of Residential Group 2, said her group usually spends time cleaning up waste along the seawall after their morning exercise sessions.

However, the amount of ocean waste washing ashore over the past 10 days had been too large for the group to handle on its own, she said.

According to the administration of Mui Ne Ward, the locality regularly conducts environmental clean-up campaigns and organizes waste collection drives, particularly during the ocean-waste season.

It has deployed excavators and local personnel to collect and transport waste, helping clean up Mui Ne Beach and other beach areas where debris has accumulated.

The ward will increase waste collection in areas that frequently receive ocean debris and arrange personnel and equipment to handle waste during the peak season, according to the local administration.

It also mulls over solutions for collecting and screening beach waste and organizes more activities to improve coastal environmental protection while raising public awareness and individual responsibility.

The local administration has encouraged tourism businesses and residents to use renewable energy, save energy, and replace plastic and nylon products with environmentally friendly alternatives such as bamboo straws, paper cups, and paper bags.

Fishermen and boat owners are encouraged not to dump damaged fishing gear, ropes, foam buoys, bottles or household waste into the sea during fishing and mooring activities, and to bring waste back to shore for disposal after each voyage, according to the local administration.