Swimmers are being reminded to keep away from Macao’s two beaches, with recent rains in Guangdong province washing tonnes of refuse into the Pearl River estuary.
In a statement cited by the Macau Post Daily, the Marine and Water Bureau said that trash washing up on both Hac Sa and Cheoc Van beaches has increased significantly, and added that extra cleaning staff have been deployed to deal with the problem.
The warning comes after the bureau closed both beaches last week after high levels of E.coli were found in Macao’s coastal waters.
[See more: Macao’s beaches are closed until further notice]
Rubbish on beaches, especially after heavy rain in the upper reaches of the Pearl River, is a perennial issue in Macao
Last April, an estimated four tonnes of trash a day was washing up on Hac Sa beach alone.
Environmentalists say poor waste management and illegal dumping in communities along the Pearl River is to blame, with much of the trash found on Macao’s beaches being single-use plastic.
