T

housands of local residents, students, military and police personnel flocked to some famous beaches in Bali on Friday to join a coastal cleanup campaign.

Initiated by the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the ninth regional military command (Kodam IX) Udayana, the coastal cleanup campaign was held on nine different beaches, including two in Sanur, Matahari Terbit Beach and Mertasari Beach.

The campaign, which was also held on beaches in Tanjung Benoa, Masceti, Nyanyi, Penuktukan, Biawung and Segara Kusamba as well as areas across the Gilimanuk bay, involved around 8,000 people and managed to collect 13,854 kilograms of trash.

The ministry’s environmental pollution and damage control director general, MR Karliansyah, said the coastal cleanup event aimed at raising awareness of the environment and stopping people from littering. “We hope that through this activity, people will change their behavior and choose not to litter,” he said.

In Bali, waves of trash have been causing problems annually, which peaks during the monsoon season between December and March when strong western winds push flotsam, including plastic bags, bottles, straws and food packaging, onto the beaches.