Changing the tide

TODAY GulfWeekly backs calls for an all-powerful tourism commission to keep Bahrain’s public beaches clean and make them show-pieces of the kingdom.

We urge officials to take on board the shining example of Bahraini teenagers Durra Al Ali, Zain Marhoon and Sara Seyadi who were so ashamed of the amount of rubbish on the sand and floating in the sea that they set up their own inspirational clean-up operation.
Through word-of-mouth, a few posters in shop windows and a message on an internet site they attracted 80 volunteers showing an impressive groundswell of public opinion.
“Visitors come to the beach and all they see is garbage,” said Zain. “Tourists will see that the beaches are filthy and think that we are too.
“The only clean beaches are the private ones. It hurts, it’s horrible. We want to raise awareness. We need to think of future generations.”
Some suggest there is no political will to take up the challenge, although a number of one-off clean-up operations receive support. However, many believe an authoritative body with financial clout and power to clean up and impose environmental rules, restrictions and fines would be to everyone’s benefit, particularly the local economy from increased visitor numbers buying food, drink and locally-made goods.
The ‘Complete Residents’ Guide - Bahrain’, published by Explorer, is damning in its criticism and states: “…you would have thought that there would be an abundance of beaches suitable for bathing. You would have thought wrong! Bahrain has very few pleasant bathing beaches.”
The book lists three public beaches and is critical of their upkeep and claims “illegal dumping of industrial and domestic rubbish is rampant.”
The drive and passion of Bahrain’s youth, however, may win the day. As soon as the girls return from their first term of studying at British universities they plan to be back fronting the battle of the beaches.