Join hands to clean the ocean

Along the eastern coast of Dak Lak, the images of green volunteer shirts, groups of environmental workers, and people holding garbage bags have become familiar. Thanks to that, the sea is increasingly cleaner, greener, and also filled with the pride of those who are silently preserving the beauty of their homeland.

Early morning on Phu Yen beach, when the sun just rose above the horizon, hundreds of footsteps were imprinted on the sand. They were not tourists strolling, but youth union members cleaning the beach. The young people divided into small groups, some picked up nylon bags washed ashore by the waves, others collected torn nets, plastic bottles, cans... Each full bag of garbage was tied tightly, brought to the gathering point to be transported away. The green color of the youth's shirts blended together on the long stretch of golden sand, creating a bustling scene of dawn.

“We often organize campaigns early in the morning to avoid the harsh sunlight and collect trash before tourists come to swim. This is not only a cleaning activity, but also a message: the beautiful beach is thanks to the cooperation of everyone,” said Mr. Huynh Quoc Toan, Secretary of the Phu Yen Ward Youth Union.

Youth Union of Phu Yen ward participates in cleaning up trash and the beach.

In the distance, where the waves still lapped the shore regularly, there was a glimpse of an old man with white hair. He was thin but strong, his steps were still agile, his shoulders were slightly hunched but not slowing down. He bent down, meticulously picking up each nylon bag and each bottle in the sand, as if he were picking up the purity of the sea. That was Mr. Nguyen Sen, over 80 years old, a resident of Phu Yen ward, known to everyone as the "silent sea cleaner".

According to the locals, he has been doing this job for many years, regardless of the sun or the pouring rain. When the city is still sleeping, at 4 am he leaves his house, more than 5 km from the coast, on his old bicycle. Just a few minutes after parking his bike on the sand, he begins his "shift": a flashlight on his head, one hand holding a sack, the other constantly bending down to pick up trash, each step leaving long footprints on the wet sand...

His route stretched over 500 meters along the beach. As he walked, he looked for tiny pieces of trash, sometimes just a piece of fishing line or a torn net. He dragged each full bag of trash to the collection point and then returned to continue. Only when the long stretch of sand became clean, with no trace of plastic bottles or nylon bags mixed in the sand, did he stop, wipe the sweat from his forehead and smile with relief.

When I tried to start a conversation, he just quickly replied a few sentences and then bent down to work again. "I volunteer to pick up trash because I see that too much trash will pollute the marine environment," he said while shifting the trash bag on his shoulder. For him, this is not only about keeping the ocean clean, but also a way to exercise and a joy in old age.

At the end of the morning, he leisurely rode his bicycle away from the beach when the sun was just rising. The image of Mr. Sen moved many young people. They came to help him carry the garbage bags to the collection point. The working atmosphere became even more exciting.

For many years, the Vietnam Green Community Group - Phu Yen Branch has coordinated with many units and associations in the province to organize programs to protect the marine environment. Many programs have been organized by the group such as: Green Sunday, Green City campaign, Clean Up Vietnam campaign... with the participation of hundreds of students, volunteers. According to Mr. Tran Tinh, a member of the group, in addition to implementing campaigns to clean up waste, the group members also organize propaganda, raise awareness of students, students as well as people living along the coast in preserving the marine ecosystem.

After 9 p.m. every day, when the number of tourists gradually thins out, environmental workers begin cleaning up trash on the beach.

In addition, coastal tourism businesses have also joined in. Many resorts and restaurants along the beach have maintained daily trash collection activities, and gradually replaced disposable plastic items with environmentally friendly materials. Some establishments also encourage visitors to participate in the morning “green hour” - when staff and visitors pick up trash together and clean the beach before starting a new day.

The movement's spread has attracted the response of the community. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, a resident of Tuy Hoa ward, happily said: "At first, when I saw young people going to the beach to pick up trash, I also joined in. After a few times, it became a habit. Now, every time I go to the beach to swim or go for a walk, my friends and I always bring small bags to pick up trash. When the beach is clean, everyone feels more comfortable."

To maintain daily beach cleanliness, environmental workers play a silent but very important role. For many years, the Public Service Center has coordinated with Phu Yen Urban Environment Joint Stock Company to organize garbage collection teams in the coastal areas of Tuy Hoa and Binh Kien wards. The work begins at 9 p.m. every day, when the number of tourists has gradually decreased. During that time, workers use a specialized garbage truck to diligently collect every single plastic bag, bottle, and beer can left behind. Their work only ends when the beach is clean of garbage.

According to Mr. Nguyen Le Vi Phuc, Secretary of the Binh Kien Ward Party Committee, this is not the responsibility of any single industry or individual. We need the coordinated participation of organizations, authorities, businesses, residents and tourists. In addition to the garbage collection campaign, the ward regularly organizes propaganda and encourages people to dispose of garbage in the right places and reduce the use of nylon bags. Keeping the sea clean is not only to attract tourists, but also to protect the marine ecosystem, maintain aquatic resources and ensure sustainable livelihoods for coastal fishing communities.

Coastal clean-up campaigns have been vigorously deployed in many coastal areas. In each place, marine environmental protection activities have different creative approaches, but the common point is still consensus and enthusiasm.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/moi-truong/202508/chung-tay-lam-sach-bien-dc01d28/