Before 1997, sea turtles were to be encountered in each dive, struggled by plastic bags. Those turtles that must have hatched on our beaches came back after 15 to 20 years to lay their eggs on the same beaches were they were born.
After some years of clean up activities and awareness campaigns, Operation Big Blue divers, a committee of Cedars for Care association, were satisfied to report that all sea turtles that have come across were all alive. Since then, our Blue Police team have been watching their nests at Ramlet El Bayda beach and later helping their hatchlings reach the water; as Municipality lights are distracters to hatchlings, our team watch late at nights in order to put the young turtles on the right direction towards the water.
Everything was becoming so perfect. So many beaches were no more in need to clean up activities and fishermen were so contented as their nets would start catch fish instead of filthy garbage, when, suddenly (but not astonishingly as this was expected to happen), spring 2006 witnessed one of the worst nightmares that could ever happen to our coast. Sidon dumpsite collapsed and tones of garbage went into the water.
In May 2006, Operation Big Blue launched its ninth campaign to clean up the Lebanese coast and underwater. The current dispersed the garbage that chopped down from the dumpsite on many beaches, as the currents conveyed them north and south. Many municipalities, the Lebanese army, students and NGOs replied to the appeal and helped us clean up the shores, except, to our astonishment, the Municipality of Rmaily, the one whose beach is mostly affected by the dumpsite downfall. We sent students from Beirut and volunteers from Sidon and other regions to help on these beaches but the number volunteers was not enough.
Till that day, the Municipality did nothing about the problem though in her area, 2 important restaurants invested parts of the beaches, paying the Municipality the regular fees.
Today, the beaches are filthy as ever, as the currents moved the garbage deposited on the sea floor towards the shore. More beaches are affected and more effort is to be made as soon as possible before June, the beginning of the sea turtles nesting season.
Many of our team got discouraged, as we didn’t felt any approach from the government to solve the problem of Sidon dumpsite. And while negotiating about how to end this problem, another dilemma merged, discouraging our volunteers and co-associations; the government decided that the inactive dumpsite of Normandy in Beirut must be removed and the solution that was put is to throw the dirt into the sea.
Today we’re on the move to do something final. Many co-associations are already by our side. Our plan is:
- To do something about dumping Normandy dirt into the sea before it kills a new reef;
- To clean up 2006 mess, an operation that is dated on May the 13th;
- To intensify the Reduce/Reuse campaigns;
- To reinforce the activity of the Blue Police.
On the other hand, another difficulty is to be worked out before May 13th on some beaches of South Lebanon. During July 06 war, Israelis threw bombes in many areas in the South. Some are still unfound and many are expected to be on the beaches, covered by some sand. Awaiting a reply from the Lebanese army, we fear the currents will convey the bombes to northern beaches, which will be crowded this summer with beachgoers and where no one would expect such an incident.
What we suffer most is the feeling of guilt as we invited marine creatures to re-inhabit our shores. What if they get trapped in plastic bags and polluted water...
