Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — THE International Maritime Organization, IMO, has commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, marine litter action plan, a development that will usher in a cleaner and safer sea and oceans.
Speaking at the Headquarters of the global organisation in London last week, the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, said that NIMASA’s marine litter action plan will also enhance its moves toward Nigeria’s Blue Economy initiative.
Lim also said that the issue of marine litter has become a source of concern for the agency adding that all stakeholders must be part of the clean and safer ocean initiative.
He said: ‘‘Oceannet project aims to project the loss, recover, reuse, and recycle fishing gears to obtain added value products in the textile industry.
‘‘Oceanet project will also take part at the sustainable blue economy, a system meant to tackle the menace of marine litter.’’
Scientists believe that most of the plastics pouring into the oceans sinks to its depths.
According to them, a tyre discarded into the waters breaks into pieces over time until it completely disappears but it will take up to 450 years.
