Diving team lifts 124 tons of marine debris, cleans sea bed
The head of the Kuwaiti diving team, Walid Al-Fadil, announced that the team has “recovered 9 ships, boats and marine vessels weighing 101 tons to preserve the marine environment,” pointing out that “the team lifted 124 tons of discarded fishing nets and waste harmful to the marine and coastal environment, from more than 30 locations along the coast and sea of Kuwait.
Al-Fadil reported that the team, established 35 years ago, conducted 125 environmental tasks and activities in the past year. They completed comprehensive periodic maintenance on 107 marine anchors, enhancing their durability with specialized materials for safer anchoring of boats and yachts around the islands, particularly critical coral reef sites.
Ensuring maritime navigation safety, the team monitored various sites in the Kuwait Sea, placing warning signs on locations of sunken boats to prevent collisions. They cleaned hazardous sites, such as concrete near the Jaber Bridge, sea anchors on the Asherij coast, and iron pillars on the Fintas coast, subsequently securing shipping lanes. The team also removed floating objects, both wooden and plastic, posing navigational hazards.
Al-Fadil mentioned joint awareness campaigns with the regional office of the United Nations Environment Office in West Asia, aligning with the global Clean Seas campaign by the United Nations Environment Organization to combat plastic waste in the seas.
The team continued periodic aspirations, monitoring coral reefs around the southern islands, coasts, and the Jaber Kuwait Marine Reserve. They conducted benthic surveys to assess coral conditions, submitting reports to government agencies, international organizations, and specialists interested in coral reef conditions.
Expressing hope for strict measures against environmental violations, Al-Fadil emphasized the need for tough penalties for offenders. He urged relevant authorities to initiate projects and programs that contribute to environmental preservation, especially those concerning Kuwait Bay and the islands.
For the ninth consecutive year, the team conducted a weekly mobile beach cleaning campaign in collaboration with over nine governmental and private agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Kuwait Municipality, Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Authority for the Environment, Public Authority for Youth, Zain Telecommunications Company, and Kuwait National Bank.
The campaign comprised an environmental forum, field workshops for coast cleaning, presentations on environmental information, and competitions for students. The goal is to spread environmental awareness and emphasize the importance of preserving the coastal environment. Additionally, the team delivered lectures, conducted visits, and organized exhibitions in schools and universities across Kuwait.
