Nabil Mokhtar, head of the mechanical beach cleaning program, revealed that during the summer season, Tunisian beaches accumulate a total of around 8,000 cubic meters of waste left behind each day by vacationers, 85% of which is plastic.
In a statement to the TAP news agency on the progress of the program, Mokhtar stressed that each cleaning operation removes nearly 600 cubic meters of waste. He emphasized the need to raise awareness among vacationers to stop littering, due to the environmental damage caused and the slow decomposition of waste.
The program’s completion rate — which will continue until the end of September 2025 — has reached 80%. Funding of around 1.8 million dinars has been allocated, 60% from the Tourism Zones Protection Fund and the remainder from the Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL).
The mechanical beach cleaning program, implemented by APAL in collaboration with the Tourism Zones Protection Fund, involves both mechanical and manual cleaning operations on 133 beaches along the coastline, through multiple interventions.
Mokhtar, who heads the beach studies, development, and equipment department at APAL, noted that a single intervention covers 192 km over a total area of nearly 5,739 hectares. The beaches involved include 82 public beaches and 15 tourist beaches.
In summer, between 9 and 11 interventions are carried out on public beaches, while tourist beaches benefit from 17 to 23 cleaning operations, according to Mokhtar.
The program aims to improve the seafront and the quality of facilities for vacationers by cleaning and sifting the sand, and by transporting waste to controlled landfills.
APAL is also implementing other programs to protect beaches, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, to dismantle unauthorized structures and ensure compliance with concession or temporary occupation contracts for public maritime areas.
Source : La presse
