Cleaning up Tunisia's Coast: Professional divers clear debris in Hawarya

World
Europe

03:06

At the end of the summer season, Tunisian professional divers in the coastal region of Hawarya in the governorate of Nabeul dive to clean the sea from debris. The ambitious project is risky but important for the environment. CGTN's Adnen Chaouachi has more.

This is the Ras Adar Diving Center in the coastal city of Hawarya. The club team is preparing for an unusual mission in the Mediterranean basin. Today's scuba diving is not for fun. It is rather for cleaning the sea.

NEJIB MAAMOURI PRESIDENT, RAS ADAR DIVING CENTER "The beautiful sea is a gift that we must take care of. Divers can take action against marine debris because they are the first to realize the devastating effects underwater."

Fares is the youngest diver. After 11 dives, the 12-year-old boy has become familiar with this area. Fares has joined his father to remove marine debris.

FARES EL EUCH DIVER "I'm not afraid to dive to remove bottles and plastic. If we don't do it, there will be no clean sea in the future."

Tunisia's most talented and experienced divers have come to support the project. Many are shocked when they observe the seabed.

SOUHAIL GUEDAMSI PROFESSIONAL DIVER "We are working together under water to control the vast area. It's incredible how tourists can cause marine pollution. It's even worse than we had expected."

Foreign divers who live in the North African state have joined their Tunisian friends. Germain and his team are not only picking up trash they see during their dives. They are also reporting the trash and recording data for a scientific project.

GERMAIN FLAUBERT FRENCH DIVER "Analyzing the recorded data will help experts understand the phenomenon of marine pollution and limit its impact on the environment."

Hundreds of plastic and glass bottles were removed. However, thousands of dangerous objects and tons of rubbish could not be taken out.

KALOUTCHA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST "Every year, eight million tons of plastics enter the oceans and seas, but only 5 percent of it stays at the surface, which means 95 percent of it is still underwater."

My 2nd dive in this beautiful landscape was for a noble cause. I finally realized the threat of the tide of trash and how animals have been reported as entangled or trapped in fishing line, nets and other plastic items.

ADNEN CHAOUACHI HAWARYA, TUNISIA "Every-year, the initiative of Scuba diving to remove debris here in Haouaria is attracting more and more volunteers from all regions across the country. Activists are planning to organize similar events on the Tunisian coast to reduce marine pollution. Adnen Chaouachi, CGTN, Hawarya."