Project AWARE Dive Against Debris
A quarter of the plastic waste produced by 22 countries and territories is released into nature every year of which roughly 600‚000 tonnes ends up polluting the Mediterranean Sea‚ according to estimated of a report by the international non-profit organization of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This is an estimated equivalent of 563 plastic bottles being dumped into the Mediterranean Sea evey second!
These terrifying numbers made the conservation groups calling on governments and the EU drastically to reduce plastic production and incease recycling.
“Plastic production is far too cheap‚ while its waste management and pollution costs are largely discharged on societies and nature. All countries must overhaul their whole supply chain… This is the only way we can keep plastic out of the Mediterranean Sea.”
Giuseppe di Carlo‚ director of WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative.
Luckily‚ we see that some changes have been made around Palermo and surrounding communities. Mayor Franco Orlando of Palermo introduced a complete banning of single use plastic on all beaches of Palermo. Capaci‚ a small community just outside Palermo also made a great initiative with mayor Pietro Puccio with a no single use plastic policy. In addition‚ differentiated waste bins were provided on almost every street and recycling waste got up to 46% of the population of the small town‚ a number that before seemed unimaginable. What the people of Capaci first felt as a great revolution‚ now repaid them with a beautiful looking town center and clean beaches as never seen before!
Changes are being made‚ which of course is great! but still‚ will the changes be fast enough to make a drastic change? Will all others join in time? Is this enough? What about all the waste that already ended up in the sea? What about the 70% of marine debris hat sinks down to the seas and ocean bottom?
Now‚ here is where us diver come into the scene! … with the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialties and Adopt A Dive Site Program.
What is Project AWARE Dive Against Debris about?
Project AWARE’s flagship citizen-science program‚ Dive Against Debris®‚ empowers scuba divers to remove marine debris from the ocean and report data on the types‚ quantities and locations of materials collected.
What are the results of Project AWARE Dive Against Debris?
Since the program’s launch in 2011‚ more than 50‚000 divers have participated in Dive Against Debris in 114 countries around the world‚ reporting over 1 million pieces of trash. As the only underwater debris data collection program of its kind‚ Dive Against Debris both improves the health of ocean ecosystems through localized volunteer efforts and provides valuable information about underwater debris to help inform policy change.
Great success! But what is Project AWARE Dive Against Debris next goal?
Add our next million pieces of debris to the global Dive Against Debris dataset by the end of 2020 to mobilize local communities and continue to build evidence of the scale of the global marine debris crisis.
Want to be part of the #NextMillion2020? You can!
You can join us in our Dive Against Debris programs. Evasioni Blu Diving actively participates in Project AWARE programs and we have also adopted a dive site. “Adopt a Dive Site” is the initiative from Project AWARE to “adopt” a dive site‚ and be commited by regularly performing a Dive Against Debris on the same dive spot. We have adopted a dive spot that lays just outside the port of Isola delle Femmine‚ a zone where both tourist waste and fisherman waste usually accumulate.
This beginning of June Ishaan and Kaushik took their Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty and helped us clean up the sea floor at our adopted dive spot. We collected a total of 3kg; 66 pieces of debris in just one dive of 35 minutes. Tim & Bastiaan and all staff of Evasioni Blu Diving helped in collecting the debris bags and the process of sorting‚ weighing‚ recording‚ disposing and reporting the waste found underwater. A great thank you to all these people!
Will you be the hero joining us on our next Dive Against Debris?
