On August 14, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), and their industry partners: Cooke Aquaculture, Northern Processing, and SIMCorp Marine Environmental, with help from the Harbour Breton Community Youth Network, the Town of Harbour Breton, and the Harbour Breton Harbour Authority, participated in their last shoreline clean of the summer.
Thirty-four individuals from the community met at the Community Youth Network in Harbour Breton, and were divided into groups to travel to the seven designated areas selected for cleaning. Clean up supplies were provided from all the organizations as well as Hynes Holdings in Harbour Breton.
Following the clean up, participants enjoyed a delicious mussel boil up sponsored by NAIA and barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs, which were sponsored by the Harbour Breton Harbour Authority. Random prize draws donated by NAIA, SIMCorp, the Community Youth Network and the Harbour Authority, also took place. From gift cards to travel mugs, many of the participants were awarded prizes for taking part.
Background
In the spring of this year, NAIA invited all the communities in the Coast of Bays region to participate in shoreline clean ups in their region.
As a way to encourage communities to schedule their own clean ups, NAIA offered to support clean ups by helping organize or provide clean up supplies and/or prizes and snacks. Out of the fourteen communities contacted, four responded and dates and areas were selected based on the responses.
Very successful clean ups took place in St. Alban’s/Swanger’s Cove (June 9), St. Joseph’s Cove (June 15), Conne River (June 20) and Harbour Breton (August 14).
Overall, during the four clean ups, more than twenty organizations from the Coast of Bays area participated. NAIA and these organizations helped make these clean ups possible by providing the hands-on support, clean up supplies, prizes, mussels, snacks and refreshments. It is estimated that 275 bags of garbage was collected on approximately forty beaches.
NAIA would like to thank everyone who helped support these events in any way, especially the aquaculture companies, municipalities, organizations, summer students and general public.
Communities are encouraged to continue organizing clean ups like these to minimize the impact of debris on our local shorelines and in our communities. Together we can make a difference!
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