asdsaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

As Kenya cracks second whip on plastic industry, activists remain optimistic

World Environment Day 2020 marked the beginning of a different routine for 35- year-old Ali Ibrahim who is the assistant chairman of the Bamburi beach management unit, a local unit of stakeholders in the fishing industry in Mombasa, Kenya.

Ever since he began fishing 15 years ago, Ibrahim has spent past world environment days collecting discarded plastics from the Jomo Kenyatta public beach, which is part of the Mombasa Marine Park and reserve.

But things are about to change. A presidential directive that came into effect on the same day has banned single-use plastics in protected areas. This will hopefully help ensure that Ali and his fellow fishermen do not find discarded plastics in their beach every now and then.

“I cannot begin to describe what this means for us as fishermen,” Ali says. “ We are used to scenarios where we find bits of plastic in fish bellies,” he says.

Ali has already experienced what it is like to work from a plastic-free beach after the Kenyan ministry of health closed down all beaches in an effort to discourage gatherings and limit the spread of COVID-19.

“When the ministry of health closed down beaches, some environmental activists conducted a cleaning exercise along the beach and since then we have not had cases of plastic littering” Ali adds.

However, the ban could help address a second problem Ali and his fellow fishermen have been facing; the reduction in their fish catches.

The Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach which is part of the Mombasa marine park and reserve. PHOTO JANET MURIKIRA

According to a 2019 report by the Centre For Environmental Law, the plastic industry is one of the highest emitters in the manufacturing sector.

“In 2019, the production and incineration of plastic will add more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere—equal to the emissions from 189 five-hundred-megawatt coal power plants. At present rates, these greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle threaten the ability of the global community to meet carbon emissions targets.” the report says.

Greenhouse gases have been blamed on the rising global temperatures whose ripple effect is the acceleration of coral bleaching, which often results in the death of the coral.

With reef-building corals holding the highest concentration of marine biodiversity, experts have already begun warning that the continued bleaching of corals will have an effect on the livelihoods of fishing communities mostly living in the tropics.

A report by William Cheung, a marine researcher who has written extensively on the impact of climate change on fisheries predicted a decline of up to 40% in seafood catch in areas along the tropics by 2055.

“Our estimates suggest that the high range greenhouse gas emission could result in a worldwide redistribution of maximum catch potential and the level of impacts is positively related to the emission level” the report indicates.

The recent ban has raised optimism among anti-climate change campaigners in Kenya who are using an earlier ban on secondary packaging plastic bags as a benchmark.

The ban which came into effect in September 2017 holds violators liable for paying fines that range from $300 to $40000.

According to Olivia Adhiambo, a climate change policy and advocacy expert at Tony Wild, a Kenyan based organization advocating for nature-based sustainability, the bans will have a gradual reduction on emissions linked to plastics both at manufacturing and disposal stages.

“Plastics also clog the soil and sea beds reducing their ability to act as carbon sinks. Since the ban on secondary packaging plastic bags came into effect, we have seen a sharp drop in supply due to a fall in demand.” Adhiambo says. “With the proper enforcement I hope that the second ban will trickle down to the manufacturing chain” she adds.

A man walking through the plastic waste ridden Mtopanga River in Mombasa county.
PHOTO JANET MURIKIRA

However, the ban that has worked to rid plastics bags that were once the primary packaging method used by retailers has paved the way for the entry of non-woven Polypropylene bags.

Past research has shown that these bags produce twice the amount of greenhouse emissions produced by their plastic counterparts, but they can be reused at least 10 times more than plastic bags.

Kenya has had her own attempt at banning the bags too.

Last year, Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued a March 30th 2019 ultimatum banning the use of such bags.

However, a court in the capital Nairobi suspended the ban pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by a trade lobby group dubbed the Traders Association of Kenya.

This story is published in collaboration with One Earth.

Header photo by Janet Murikira.

 

 

 

slot thailand slot88 joker123 zeus slot slot mania habanero idn slot jdb slot slot gacor maxwin slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand sv388 slot kamboja idn slot slot ovo habanero slot petir slot dana slot maxwin slot ovo starlight princess live casino slot zeus pg soft slot olympus ibcbet maxwin slot thailand slot pgsoft slot slot mahjong zeus slot digmaan slot mania slot pulsa jdb slot slot777 slot shopee slot spade gaming slot thailand slot thailand fafaslot nolimit city slot princess fafaslot fafa slot slot princess slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong slot gopay slot88 slot toto slot server thailand slot thailand slot77 slot gacor slot thailand slot server thailand slot thailand akun gacor slot maxwin slot gacor slot thailand slot kakek zeus Pg Soft Maxbet Ibcbet Starlight Princess Slot Ovo Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Sv388 Sbobet Slot Dana Slot Thailand Slot Thailand Digmaan Sv388 Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Slot Dana Slot Gacor Slot Anti Rungkat baccarat roulette sicbo casino online sv388 tembak ikan online sbobet slot macau slot thailand slot thailand slot88 situs slot wwg slot wm casino tembak ikan slot thailand slot wala meron slot nolimit city slot pg slot gacor slot88 slot50000 slot mahjong slot thailand 66k bet slot daftar judi slot online indonesia slot mahjong ways slot thailand mahjong ways slot gacor slot mawin slot gacor slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot gacor slot gopay slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot gacor judi slot slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot mahjong ways 2 slot pragmatic slot demo pragmatic slot demo pg soft demo slot pragmatic slot gacor 4d slot pg soft pgslot pgsoft pgsoft sv388 slot88 pgsoft slot thailand slot88 slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot dana fafaslot slot ovo slot jepang judi slot gacor slot rusia Situs Daftar Judi Slot Mahjong Ways 1 dan 2 PG Soft Online PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot Kakek Zeus RTP Slot > Daftar Situs Judi Slot Gacor Mahjong Ways 2 PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Terbaik Situs Slot Online Gacor Dan Agen Slot Pragmatic Play Terpercaya Slot Gacor: Situs Slot Online Pragmatic Play & Bocoran Pola Slot Situs Slot Online Terbaik Terpercaya dan Terbesar di Indonesia Slot Kakek Zeus Daftar Link Slot Olympus Terbaru Slot Dana Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia Sabung Ayam Online Sv388 Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online SLOT88 SLOT PG SOFT GACOR Bandar Slot Daftar Situs Judi Online Terbaik & Terpercaya Gacor power gaming sv388 lucky neko slot gacor slot gacor slot88 slot kakek slot pg slot kakek zeus slot dana slot maxwin slot server luar negeri slot thailand Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Daftar Slot Dana Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play lucky Neko Daftar & Login Slot PG Judi Slot 88 Online Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Slot Mahjong Ways 2 Mudah Jackpot Paus di PG Soft Hari ini 2023 Lucky Neko Situs Slot Gacor Pgsoft Hari Ini Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus SITUS SABUNG AYAM SV388 ONLINE DAFTAR LINK LOGIN APK AGEN SV388 Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia SBOBET Login Agen Judi Bola Sbobet Mahjong Ways | Slot PG | Slot Mahjong Ways 2 | Slot PGsoft | Daftar Slot Mahjong Situs Joker123 | Joker123 | Joker Gaming | Daftar Slot Joker Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Agen Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Terpercaya Slot Kakek Zeus : Daftar RTP Judi Slot Online Gacor Gampang Menang Joker123 Game Slot Gacor Joker Gaming Casino Online Indonesia Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play