Peru launches beach clean-up campaign

After an oil spill at a refinery in mid-January created what the United Nations called the worst ecological disaster in Peru's recent history, a campaign was launched on Saturday to keep Lima's beaches clean.

About 8,000 members of the community participated in the collection of rubbish from a beach in the capital.

The campaign aims to encourage citizens to take care of coastal marine areas and prevent solid waste pollution of beaches and seas to conserve biodiversity and the natural environment of these ecosystems.

The impact of last January's oil spill is still fresh in the memory of Peruvians, which has caused more than 5,000 people to lose their livelihoods. Meanwhile, the transnational oil company Repsol reported that the clean-up work in the Peruvian sea and coastline was 92% complete.