In my little way of contributing to promote community integration, biodiversity and keeping the environment clean, I decided to volunteered with a Non governmental organisation know as SOFER INITIATIVE (Stand out for environmental restoration) which is an incentive aimed at the various issues surrounding Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gears that endanger marine lives in the sea, specifically as it relates to West Africa.
Working as a Volunteer :
Sincerely speaking its not easy working as a volunteer in any organisation. If its something you love and have much passion for its quite a different ball game. On my own case, I heard about SOFER INITIATIVE online and immediately picked interest in it because of the strong belief I have for the project and also to play a positive role in helping to to raise environmental awareness, treat nature nicely and educate people on the need to do same. It's the little thing I can get myself into in my youthful years.
This is a photo of me assisting to gather discarded and plastic waste and fishing net from the ocean side as they negatively affect the marine life by starvation or ghost fishing.
Here's what the seashore looks like after the environmental cleaning :
Human pollution by the beach side :
Here's an aerial photo of the littered plastic waste by the beach environment taken with a drone :
Let's talk about how plastic and abandoned fishing Net affects the marine life by :
1. STARVATION :
Marine animals such as fishes, whales and sea turtles often mistake plastic waste for prey or sea food and when they eventually succeed in ingesting this plastic waste, they most times die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris leaving them with no room to ingest the necessary food needed for their growth and survival. Thus when next you pay a visit to the beach, your footprints should be the only thing you leave behind.
Clear example of what happens when plastic waste are being deposited by the ocean :
2. Ghost fishing :
Ghost fishing occurs when lost or discarded fishing gear that are no longer under a fisherman's control, sinks down the ocean and repeatedly continues to trap and kill aquatic animals in them. Thus, fishes and other aquatic animals don’t have time for leisure anymore, as all they do is fight to survive.
If you were them how will you feel?
Humans have huge negative impact on marine life
Clear example of what happens during ghost fishing :
On the just concluded environmental awareness we carried out at the Ibeno beach which I was a proud volunteer we carried out a community engagement and awareness, in a quest to increase the visibility and knowledge regarding issues surrounding lost and abandoned fishing gears in the seashore areas. We had a 4 days workshop programme for educating the fishermen and people of the community on the threat humans directly or indirectly causes to the marine life.
We started by ensuring safety measures at the workshop entrance by ensuring a the mandatory use of hand sanitizers :
Then over to the lecture proper :
We talked about harmful fishing practices like the use of explosives while fishing, effect of plastic waste, effect of discarding fishing net in the ocean and lot more:
We also had a tour visit from the workshop to our HubNet by the ocean side :
You might be wondering what the HubNet means right? 😂
Well, as the name implies, its a place where discarded fishing net along the seashore that are likely to cause treat to the marine life are being collected and stored. Its also where the monitoring and evaluation process of the initiative is carried out.
This is a full picture of what the HubNet looks like :
SOFER Initiative also inspire the rural community youths towards taking action by helping to scout damaged and discarded net to the HubNet and also engage them with monitoring and evaluation process.
Here are pictures of the gathered damaged net and gears deposited by the HubNet by the community youths :
Here's a picture of Mr. Emmanuel Sofa, the founder and director of Soferinitiative :
Here's a happy picture of me while volunteering :
Me and few of my colleagues, IB and Charity :
REMEMBER NEVER TO STOP TREATING NATURE NICELY ❤️. Man might not thank you but nature is happy with you.
This is a recycling contest hosted by @cleanplanet and @diyhub
Visit here to join in Post link
Few photos taken by me with my Xiaomi Redmi note 8 Camera.
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