DAR ES SALAAM, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango on Wednesday called for concerted efforts to protect the Indian Ocean and its beaches from plastic pollution.
"Tanzania's Indian Ocean territorial waters and its beaches have been polluted by plastics, which is endangering marine resources," said Mpango when he addressed the nation from Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, to mark World Environment Day.
He said experts worldwide have predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fisheries resources, calling for more efforts, including rolling out more policies and enhancing people's awareness to protect the sea.
"The plastics dumped into the oceans produce poisons that are harmful to both marine resources and humankind," said Mpango.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5, encouraging awareness and action to protect the environment. This year, the theme of World Environment Day is: "Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience."
