Over the past week, Grand Bahama chat groups have been buzzing about the discovery of hundreds of plastic bags washed up on several beaches, including Old Freetown, Discovery Bay and Coral Beach. The packets or sachets were identified as water bags, some marked with initials and said to be used on cruise ships and cruising or fishing boats. They are also said to be used, like plastic water bottles, to sell for convenient hydration or provide to populations as emergency supplies.
One resident said the same thing happened a couple of years ago when similar bags washed up on Coral Beach. An avid beach-walker, who wished to remain anonymous, said she encounters these empty plastic containers every day. “I walk my dog just about every morning on the beach in the Mather Town community.
These water sachets are littered along the coastline for miles. Each day I pick up as many as I can, but there are always many more the next day,” she said. She said there is an effort to clean up the bags.
“It’s not just me that is removing them. Whenever I go out on the beach, you can see that there are loads of plastic piled up as if someone else is trying to clean it up as well. I also witness others walking along the beach doing the same, and putting what they can into trash bags,” the resident said.
Residents say the sheer volume of these sachets is overwhelming. Many are found entangled in seaweed or scattered across the sand, creating an unsightly and troubling scene. As to the origins of the plastic washing up on the shore, residents are speculating that they are being dumped, either accidentally or purposefully, into waters near or in The Bahamas.
Despite the speculation surrounding the origin of the bags, there are possible environmental consequences as they are predominantly made from polyethylene, are not biodegradable and break down into micro-plastics over time, posing significant threats to fish, turtles and seabirds and coastal ecosystems as they enter the food chain affecting even the smallest organisms. At the very least, there is the negative impact of unsightly trash marring the natural beauty of Grand Bahama’s beaches, some residents have pointed out. Frequent visitor Natasha Garland, a resident of Texas, told Grand Bahama News , “I visit Grand Bahama every year and usually enjoy a morning stroll along the beach near Taino Beach Resort.
“It is not uncommon to see a few pieces of trash, but this time, it has been so much more than usual. There are hundreds of little plastic bags. It is really taking away the beauty of this beach.
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