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 walking, 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 gathered torn nets, plastic bottles, cans, etc. Each full bag of trash was tied tightly, brought to the collection point to be transported away. The green color of the youth 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 beat steadily on the shore, 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 was 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 was still sleeping, at 4am he left his house, more than 5km from the coast, on his old bicycle. Just a few minutes after parking his bike on the sand, he began 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 searched 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 talk to him, he just answered a few sentences and then bent down to work again. "I volunteered to pick up trash because I saw that too much trash would pollute the marine environment," he said, 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 tourists gradually thin out, it is also the time when 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 single-use 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 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 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 nylon 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 task of any single industry or individual. We need the synchronous participation of organizations, authorities, businesses, people and tourists. In addition to launching garbage collection campaigns, the ward regularly organizes propaganda and encourages people to dispose of garbage in the right place 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 and are being 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/