ASCOA leads International Coastal Cleanup Day 2026 in Limbe

The Association for Community Awareness (ASCOA) on Saturday, September 19, 2026 joined the globe to commemorate International Coastal Cleanup Day 2026 in Limbe dubbed “ Sea the change” with a massive cleanup exercise at Down Beach and Bota Beach. 

Volunteers from Buea and Limbe turned out in large numbers to clear waste and debris along the coastline. 

Speaking at Down Beach, Project Director of ASCO Mokete Emmanuel Mbella, described the exercise as marvelous. 

"We have done a marvelous job. With volunteers from different towns and out of the country, we collected waste and debris along the coastline

based on our negotiation, HYSACAM will come and pick it up for proper disposal." Mokete Emmanuel said.

Mokete Emmanuel announced next steps for ASCOA, including a meeting with community leaders in two weeks and an upcoming International Conference on Marine Debris. 

The conference will bring stakeholders together to discuss recycling and turn waste into raw materials for enterprises like EcoGreen. 

He praised the youth participation, noting majority of volunteers were 19 years and below, which he said is a sign of sustainability. 

The Chief of Service for sensitisation at the regional delegation of environment South West Region, Ngomba Clara commended ASCOA. 

“Our marine ecosystem provides livelihood, ecotourism, carbon sequestration, even the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. Most marine debris is washed from other areas. Plastics are not biodegradable they kill sea turtles and fishes, and microplastics end up in our own systems." Ngomba Clara said 

The CEO and founder of ASCOA, Linus Ayangwoh Embe, said despite the rain, the exercise was a success, with visible before-and-after impact. 

He thanked the team at Bota Beach and the Reverend Father who supported them. He called on business owners along the coastline to organize bi-weekly cleanups, as trash is chasing customers away. 

According to the Beach-master of Limbe City Council, Ngale Yoppa Cyrille Mengue, Limbe City Council maintains daily cleaning at Down Beach through HYSACAM with 10 to 15 workers. 

On increasing waste, he blamed climate change and the fact that Down Beach serves as a convergence point for dirt from other coastal areas. 

He said the Council continues to sensitize the population to stop dumping waste in the sea and rivers. He added that the beach community does general cleanup every Monday, while the Council observes "Keep Limbe Clean" every first Wednesday of the month. 

The President of the General Beach Association, Limbe, said he was instructed by the Limbe City Mayor to rally his members to join ASCOA for the cleanup exercise. 

He lamented that plastics are destroying their nets at sea. He also said that due to the increase in population in Limbe, waste has drastically increased as people throw it into rivers, which in the long run causes flooding.

The 2026 cleanup ended with documentation of waste collected and renewed calls for communities to protect the coastline. 

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Cross section of volunteers after the cleaning exercise

AVolunteers cleaning Down Beach