Schools take part in awareness

The National National
Students and teachers from various schools in NCD listening to staff from Conservation and Environment Protection Authority. – Nationalpic by LORRAINE JIMAL

By LORRAINE JIMAL
TWELVE schools in the National Capital have participated in a two weeks marine environment awareness on endangered marine species, according to Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa).
Cepa marine environment division officer Phelameya Haiveta said the awareness was conducted to educate students to conserve endangered marine species, pollution, waste management and the importance of the mangrove ecosystem.
She said the students also asked questions about issues such as costal development and unregulated trade of endangered marine species such as turtle and dugong.
Haiveta said students were encouraged to be positive agents of change and were challenged to be environmentally conscious of today’s fast-changing society.
The awareness coincided with the observation of the World Environment Day, World Oceans Days and the Coral Triangle Day, enforcing this year’s theme of ‘only one earth’.
“More than 1,000 students from the 12 schools took part and we received an overwhelming positive response from both students and teachers. The main advocacy of the theme was on the importance of fisheries and resources,” she said.