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MINA talks environment protection with TTT
The Tasi to Table program not only seeks to teach the youth about fishing; it also aims to instill in them the importance of environmental protection. Toward this end, Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance representative David Benavente talked of marine environment matters with the youth group last Jan. 8.
According to TTT vice president Wayne Pangelinan, Benavente talked about marine pollution and its domino effect on the environment. “This complicates the environment and species surrounding the artificial reefs. Species are more toxic in those areas because of the metals, chemicals, and other man-made pollution that the fishes consume,” he said.
In the presentation, Benavente highlighted that plastics in the ocean breaks down over time and finds its way into the ocean’s fish species, making people eat the toxicity that the fish ingest.
That means the human population, is the “real danger” to the environment, since marine life is dependent on how humans care for their habitat, said Benavente.
Pangelinan said that TTT aims to continue sharing the importance of protecting the environment. “TTT’s efforts are to share the importance and how each of our youth may assist in their own way of protecting our environment, both land and sea. Community cleanups help people realize just how much trash is found in public spaces, and being involved in the cleanups allows individuals to see how much waste is created by man,” said Pangelinan.
According to Pangelinan, environmental protection is important not only for larger countries but also for island communities in remote areas. “Our livelihood and culture are dependent on the ocean as we fish for food and other necessitates derived from our natural resource,” he said.
