"Absolutely shocking": garbage waves hit the beach of the Dominican Republic

Every year, thousands of Canadians flock to the Dominican Republic for a vacation, with the country's tourism ministry enjoying iconic sites, a rich nightlife and "white diamond beaches continually planted with palm trees".

The week by environmental group Parley for the Oceans may require some travelers to guess their beach getaways this year.

The video shows a thick carpet of garbage covering the water, with styrofoam containers, plastic bottles and other unidentifiable garbage. on the beach of Montesinos, not far from the capital Santo Domingo

Although plastic waste floating in the oceans is not a new phenomenon, the sight of so much garbage so close to the ground has attracted a lot of people. Pay attention online

. "Seeing this first-hand is absolutely shocking, but the worst is that it's not news in Santo Domingo," said Carmen Danae Chamorro, of Parley for the Oceans, in a statement. article about the group. bsite. "This situation occurs whenever it is raining heavily."

The nonprofit organization calls waste accumulation a "state of emergency" and says that they work with more than 500 Navy volunteers, from the US, to the United States. army and public works to clean up

With the help of heavy machinery and trucks, they collected nearly 1,000 tons of plastic since July 13, which, according to the group, should be sent to landfill sites

. The plastic arrives on the beaches each day

Parley says that they will work with the island government to try to develop long-term plans to improve the waste management infrastructure of the island. # 39; island.