The need for greater environmental protection has been highlighted at this year's ongoing sardine run in South Africa, with activists warning of the risks posed to one of the country's great natural phenomena.
Every year from May to July, millions of sardines migrate along the eastern coast of South Africa, traveling over 1,000 kilometers, making it one of the largest and most spectacular migrations in the world.
The annual event is a source of great pride and excitement for people living in coastal areas of the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
"We are excited that the fish is here in the sardine run for 2025. We are happy for this fish coming to South Africa and for KZN (KwaZulu-Natal)," said a local fisherman.
However, residents and environmental volunteers are taking action to alleviate the burden on the sea caused by human activity, including plastic waste and pollution, with volunteers hitting beaches to clear away the litter.
"It's one of the last massive migrations of animals that exist. It's really important, and hundreds and hundreds of species rely on that migration, maybe not on the sardines themselves, but on what comes with them. The human impact on the ocean threatens the water temperatures and things like that, and threatens to change the natural phenomena. Don't leave your stuff there, it all ends up in the oceans. [Cleaning the beach] is probably the biggest thing we can do to try and help this and sustain it," said Gary Snodgrass, owner of the Blue Ocean Dive Resort, a popular tourist site offering activities in the area.
Last Thursday, South Africa unveiled its inaugural Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan, a strategic initiative to enhance resilience in coastal areas facing climate threats. The initiative aims to support the country's ocean economy goals while safeguarding critical sectors like tourism and fisheries.
Environmental protection highlighted at annual sardine run in South Africa
Beijing has been expanding services to provide assistance to its large foreign population, with an increasing number of volunteer stations popping up across the Chinese capital to help handle any issues and offer support alongside the city's citizen hotline.
The Beijing government's '12345' service hotline operates around the clock, with operators addressing calls and handling requests covering nearly every aspect of urban life. Now, the telephone service is equipped to respond to queries in eight languages including English, French, Russian, and Japanese.
In order to enhance the hotline's efficiency and give a public face of the service to foreign visitors and residents, special volunteer stations have been opened at key locations.
Regarded as an international hub, Beijing's Sanlitun neighborhood accommodates more than 10,000 foreign residents and employees. A bright new orange hut has appeared on one of the main commercial streets of Sanlitun, where volunteers are on hand to provide help that is urgently needed.
"Our volunteers primarily engage in service-oriented work targeting international communities on a daily basis. This includes assisting foreigners with payment, transportation, app usage, recommendations for entertainment, and dining options in Beijing. For example, we would tell them where to go if they want to eat Middle Eastern food," said Yuan Qianming, leader of the Sanlitun international volunteer service team.
Yuan said providing immediate assistance may only take a few steps, but helping foreigners get accustomed to life in Beijing could be much more complicated in reality. To improve the work efficiency, Yuan said they have already analyzed dozens of different scenarios and hundreds of common questions most often asked by foreigners.
Helping people in a more considerate way is the approach Yuan said his team are currently committed to, and many foreign volunteers have themselves been brought on-board to provide that help.
The small volunteer service station in Sanlitun has become a base for more than 500 volunteers working in shifts, a third of which come from overseas. Among them is Azfer Mumtaz Jatoi, who explained the significance of the program and his pride at taking part.
"The orange hut is not just a place where I sit down and chill. It's not just a place where I come out and help other people. But it's a symbol. It’s a symbol of the fact that China is opening up towards international people and the international community. It's a big responsibility that I get to help here. I get to be a part of the government. And that really helps me feel a part of the society," he said.
With the support of technology, an AI-powered digital volunteer named 'Sally' is also there to serve those in need, allowing people to interact with the screen and get a quick response.
"Sally knows over 70 languages. If you ask Sally in your own language, Sally will answer you directly," said Eva Ledneva, another volunteer, before giving a practical demonstration.
The volunteer services team are there to proactively identify, gather, and resolve problems on the spot. It marks the latest step forward as part of Beijing's efforts to improve urban governance.
Later this month, Beijing will hold the Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, an event which shines a spotlight on the city's urban management protocols and efficient handling of concerns at the community level.
Volunteer stations set up to offer helping hand to Beijing’s int'l community
