The Government is moving to take the campaign to clean up mangrove areas, as well as to plant more mangroves, to more villages throughout Samoa.

It is a critical part of the response to preserving the environment, mitigating the impact of climate change and ensuring a better breeding ground for fisheries resources.

Following a successful clean up campaign at Vaiusu earlier this week, the project moved to Siufaga and Falelatai on Thursday.

The project aims to provide support to villages to reduce the impact of climate change on their surrounding environment and improve lives.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment [M.N.R.E.] Principal Waste Management Officer, Aliimuamua Setoa Apo, acknowledged the support of villages involved.

“The villages had always been supportive with plastics clean up and it’s good because plastics as the majority know can affect us a lot in so many ways,” he said.

The replanting of mangroves is also another critical part of the response. In regrowing mangroves and cleaning them, the marine creatures will be able to survive and breed better.

Many families living in coastal areas rely heavily on mangroves for food and economic survival.