‘Raise awareness about plastic pollution effects in Lake Victoria’

MWANZA: JOURNALISTS in Mwanza Region have been urged to produce impactful environmental stories to raise public awareness about the effects of plastic waste in Lake Victoria.

The call was made by Director of a non-governmental organisation Mr Vitus Medard, during an environmental training for journalists and journalism students from St Augustine’s University of Tanzania (SAUT).

Mr Medard said the training aimed to equip participants with skills to report effectively on environmental challenges, particularly plastic pollution in Lake Victoria, an essential resource for millions of people in the East African region.

“We expect participants to produce creative and informative stories that will help the public understand the dangers of plastic waste in the lake,” he said.

He warned that plastic pollution is already affecting aquatic life, citing studies conducted in Mwanza.

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“A 2015 study found microplastics in about 20 per cent of Nile perch and tilapia sampled in the Mwanza area,” he said.

Mr Medard explained that the presence of microplastics in fish indicates that plastic is entering the human food chain.

He added that further studies show Lake Victoria contains thousands of plastic particles per square kilometre, most of them less than one millimetre in size, making them easily ingested by fish and other aquatic organisms.

Meanwhile, Synergistic Globe Organisation Executive Coordinator, Ms Angelina Manyama, said plastic waste is also contributing to urban environmental challenges.

She cited the blockage of drainage systems as a major concern, noting that plastic waste has worsened flooding in areas such as Mkuyuni in Mwanza by preventing the smooth flow of water during heavy rains.