Malta’s Seabed Cleanup: 425kg of Waste in Two Days
Malta’s Seabed Cleanup: A Mountain of Waste in Just Two Days
Picture this: 425kg of waste, a heaping pile of plastic, metal, and glass, all pulled from the depths of Malta’s once-pristine seas. This wasn’t the result of a year’s worth of neglect, but rather, the fruits of a single weekend’s labour by volunteers in the annual Seas Me Clean Up initiative.
From Qawra to Marsaskala: A Coast-to-Coast Cleanup
Kicking off at Qawra Point and stretching all the way to Marsaskala, this year’s cleanup saw over 100 volunteers armed with gloves, bags, and a shared mission. They combed the shorelines, dived into the waters, and even ventured onto the seabed, uncovering a shocking amount of debris hidden beneath the waves.
More Than Just Numbers: The Story Behind the Waste
Among the 425kg haul were some grim finds: fishing nets entangling marine life, plastic bottles aplenty, and even a discarded car tire. But there were also signs of hope. The team found a number of ‘ghost nets’, abandoned fishing nets that had been cut loose and were causing havoc in the sea. These were retrieved and will now be recycled.
But the question remains: how did we get here? How did our seas become a dumping ground for our waste? And more importantly, what can we do to stop it?
For now, let’s celebrate the efforts of those who gave their weekend to save our seas. But let’s also remember that this is just the beginning. With each cleanup, we’re not just collecting waste, we’re collecting evidence. Evidence of a problem that needs our collective action.
