Tourists were told to never return to a usually pristine Aussie beach after leaving it in shambles following a camping trip, Yahoo! News reports. Dozens of full trash bags were found scattered in grassy areas and along the beach, infuriating Chezy Kussanne, who was visiting the beach with her family.
"Do not ever come back, you don't deserve to appreciate what a beautiful place this is, or how lucky you were to enjoy it …" Kussanne told Yahoo! News. "People who deliberately leave their rubbish anywhere in my opinion don't deserve to visit beautiful pristine environments.
A is a 4WD beach, which allows driving on the sand. This allows tourists to explore the area more on a day or overnight trip. While such beaches are legal, environmentalists are highly critical of their existence as they make it easier for the degradation of the ecosystem. They also blur the lines between proper respect for the environment and human interference — which is abundantly clear with the leftover trash bags on this beach.
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The bags contained beer bottles, soft drink bottles, paper plates, disposable drinking cups, and other discarded waste.
According to Kussanne, seagulls and other wildlife had picked through the garbage bags, leaving the scene in even worse shape. It also means that wildlife was exposed to potentially dangerous materials that could harm them. Seagulls and other wildlife can starve or suffocate from plastics, Popular Science related. Poisonous substances from the garbage could also build up within the animals' bodies.
Mismanaged trash in the environment further seeps into surrounding areas. It can end up in waterways, polluting drinking water sources, and can be consumed by marine life, leading to their death, as the U.S. Department of the Interior explained. It can even have an economic impact, destroying fishing abilities and tourism opportunities.
"I was very shocked at the quantity of rubbish. The bags had been torn open by dingoes and birds, and plastic was blowing around everywhere," Kussanne said to Yahoo! News. "We couldn't understand why someone would just leave it there with no regard for the environment, wildlife and other people who go to experience this beautiful place."
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