Divers take the tide on trash

Gulf News

Dubai Municipality has participated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day this year, and they are planning to do this every year.  They aim to create an awareness in the conservation of our natural resources and ensure a safe and clean marine environment. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

Transcript

00:00We're right now at the Jebel Ali Beach Sanctuary, taking part in the Beach Cleanup Initiative,

00:14which was launched by the Dubai Municipality in conjunction with the Filipino Scuba Diving

00:19Club.

00:20There were 35 scuba divers who volunteered for today.

00:23We are gathered here to take out all the trashes underwater, like plastic bags, bottles, cans.

00:30The Jebel Ali Sanctuary is an area that's been emocked to be a protected area for both

00:35sea and land creatures, so the Dubai Municipality highlighted this area to be cleaned up and

00:41closed off for the creation of the sanctuary.

00:43Yes, we are planning to do this every year now, during this time, every September, October.

00:52To increase the level of awareness of the constituents, particularly of Dubai, on the

01:01importance of managing and conserving protected areas in the emirate.

01:06We were underwater and we saw some soda cans, beer cans, bottles, glass bottles, and plastic

01:17bottles from water.

01:19One of the threats to the marine turtles is the plastics floating around.

01:26Their main staple food are jellyfish.

01:29So when they see these plastics floating around, they would eat it, thinking that it's a jellyfish.

01:37If it's too big, it would choke and they'd have indigestion, then it would stress out

01:43all the system and they would beach, they would die.

01:46This also happens with dolphins, with whales, when they eat this plastic they have indigestion

01:55and that's one of the main reasons why these creatures beach, or they die on the beach.

02:03If the ocean's balance becomes upset, then that could eventually lead to the demise of

02:11our species even.

02:14It's an ecosystem, even from the smallest algae to whale sharks.

02:20We should all care about what's in the ocean, because this is our planet.

02:25We only have one planet to live in, so we should take care of it.

02:28In the days of the event, we had a very good turn up.

02:31The Filipino Scuba Diving Club, specifically today, showed up with more than 35 divers

02:36who volunteered their own time to take out of their day and give back to the community.

02:41Yesterday, like I said, we had quite a few of the Dubai schools show up.

02:46I think it's a great corporate social responsibility initiative to take part in, and it's good

02:51for all of us to get out of the office and get out of the house and give back to the

02:55community.

02:56So I'd highly recommend for all these kinds of events that if you find out about it, you

02:59hear about it, sign up and come on down and join us.

03:02Put your litter or your trash to the appropriate place or the appropriate garbage bin.

03:07To scuba divers, even if you're not doing a clean up dive, whenever you see plastic

03:12bottles or plastic bags in the water, just put it back to the garbage bin, even if there's

03:18no clean up dive.

03:19So just make it like a habit while you're diving.

03:22And whatever you bring in these kind of places, bring it back with you.

03:27May it be full or may it be empty.

03:29We have a saying that take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time, leave nothing but footprints.

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