From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 15, 2024
As beach season opens, ministry works to keep shores clean
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
The annual beach season opens, with the Environmental Protection Ministry pledging to continue supporting coastal authorities in their attempts to keep shores clean and to encourage visitors not to bring disposable plastic onto the sands.
The ministry says beaches received the highest cleanliness score last year since measurements began 19 years ago, with 90.9 percent defined as clean during at least 70% of the period of January to September. Surveys were not carried out for the last quarter of the year because of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
As part of the clean beaches program, inspectors visit selected stretches of beach twice a year. The program applies to beaches that are not officially for bathing but are nevertheless used by visitors.
The Interior Ministry is responsible for beaches registered for swimming.
The Times of Israel Community.