Over 30 divers, kayakers and snorkelers took part in an underwater clean-up in Isla to mark the World Nature Conservation Day.
The initiative was coordinated by the Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development in view of the clean-up campaign currently underway by Parks Malta, with the participation of the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) and the Water Services Corporation (WSC). Volunteers also joined in, including environmental activist Raniero Borg.
EWA chose the Isla site following an analysis of the seabed in which it noticed substantial amount of waste that had been disposed of illegally. In fact, over 2.5 tonnes of waste were collected from the seabed – including tyres and vehicle parts, wood, metal, glass, pipes, gate, chairs, and other things.
Thanking the entities for their support, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli explained how Parks Malta has been organising various clean-ups across Malta. From the eight clean-up activities organised so far, Parks Malta collected 275 tonnes of waste.
“Through Parks Malta, we want to continue raising awareness about protecting our environment. We are creating open spaces, but we also want to ensure that valleys and open spaces are well kept. This requires the attention of all of us, as the amounts of waste that have been collected through this campaign clearly show”, Miriam Dalli said.
“Moreover, as part of the campaign, Parks Malta will be planting around 550 trees in various valleys to be enjoyed by the public.”
Minister Dalli thanked Water Services Corporation (WSC) for their participation during this activity. WSC provided fresh water to the volunteers thanks to their ‘We Are Water’ (WAW) mobile unit.
EWA CEO Manuel Sapiano thanked all the participants, who included several divers from the Agency. “These clean-up activities are highly important to keep a clean environment, but above all it is also important to avoid disposing waste in the sea”, he added.
On this part, Director General of Parks Malta Adrian Attard said: “Thanks to this initiative and many others, Parks Malta will continue to raise awareness and work towards the conservation of the environment.”
