120 divers clean up in the Red Sea

Volunteer divers from dive centres in Sharm el Sheikh took part in an underwater clean up at Ras Mohammed marine park earlier this month.

The 120 divers covered one kilometre of reef, from Jackfish Alley to Eel Garden, and collected 150kg of rubbish from the popular dive site.

Most of the rubbish was fishing line, but other items included ropes, anchors, small bricks, tins and glass bottles. All the divers were given guidance on what to take and what to leave, and the safest and most environmentally-friendly way to remove fishing line.

Dr Mohammed Salem, the director of the National Park South Sinai Protectorates office said: ‘This is one of the most important coral reef areas for spawning of many species. Spawning depends on the health of the reef, as there is a relationship between feeding habitats and spawning events. We hope to see many more such clean-ups across the whole of the South Sinai.’

The clean-up event was the first in a series of projects run by the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) and National Parks of Egypt.