Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Friday, 24 May 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The International Diving Centre, a partner of Mongoose Adventures, held a program in Trincomalee recently to help remove debris and fishing nets which litter the Swami Rock Dive Site. The initiative forms part of a series of programs organised under Project Aware’s ‘Dive Against Debris’ campaign.
A team of nine trained divers from the International Diving Centre removed up to 250kgs of underwater debris, and also removed the many fishing nets that trap fish and damage coral.
Divers participating in the three-hour long cleanup program included staff from the Centre and volunteers from Nature Trails, The Dive Shop and other customers.
“From the smallest piece of plastic to massive fish nets, the amount of waste ending up in the ocean is enormous,” said Lydia Mueller of the International Diving Centre Dive Team. “Most Sri Lankans will never see how bad it looks under the surface, and how such debris damages marine life. There are so many fishnets covering the place and on every dive we find fish entangled in lines, which are also hazardous for divers.”
“The waters around Sri Lanka’s coast are rich in diverse species of fish and coral,” said Nishan Silva, Managing Director of Mongoose Adventures. “As such, it is critical to address the issues of debris and clutter to protect marine life.”
While a large number of fish were freed, overall there is a lot to be done. “We are hoping to organise a monthly cleanup and would like to invite volunteers to give a helping hand,” said Lydia. “The coral reefs around the coast of Trincomalee are well known worldwide, however, they are not protected adequately.”
Scuba divers are uniquely positioned to tackle the global marine debris issue, to take action every day and prevent debris from entering the ocean.
International Diving Centre along with divers around the world are demanding a permanent reduction in and prevention of the garbage we create that damages sensitive marine ecosystems – even in some of the most remote corners of the globe.
Mongoose Adventures is Sri Lanka’s newest adventure sports company, offering the latest in land, sea, and air based activities and experiences
With centres in Hikkaduwa, Trincomalee, Kalpitiya, Bentota, Habarana and operating wherever the adventure takes it, Mongoose Adventures is the only company offering and operating a diverse range of products ranging from snuba, scuba diving, micro light tours, hover craft, jet ski and seabobs, catamaran sailing, wind surfing, kite surfing, quad bikes, sea kayaks, body boarding, and many more.
A registered non-profit organisation, Project Award mobilises the world’s divers to protect our ocean planet – one dive at a time. Join the growing movement of divers striving toward a clean, healthy and abundant ocean planet. For more information, log on to www.projectaware.org.
