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Sharjah Marine Clean-Up Recovers More Than A Ton Of Seabed Waste |
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A huge underwater clean-up operation has recovered 1.3 tons of waste and litter from a lagoon in central Sharjah. The recent Marine Environment Clean-Up Day was organised by Sharjah Aquarium under the umbrella of Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) as part of its “Because We Care” social responsibility initiative. Hundreds of Sharjah residents gathered to watch up to 70 licensed scuba divers brave chilly waters at Khalid Lagoon to salvage items including pipes, bottles, chairs, bicycles and tires. The items were transported to Sharjah Aquarium where, over the next three days, Shamil Maroharzeh, an artist famous for ‘recycled art’, converted them into marine inspired sculptures. Manal Ataya, Director-General of SMD, said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took part in our Eighth annual Marine Clean up, especially the dedicated divers who braved cold water and low visibility to make this event a huge success. “The fact that so much discarded waste and seabed litter was pulled ashore is a testament to everyone’s hard work, but also a worrying reflection of the health of our precious marine environment. “We encourage people of all ages in the community of Sharjah and beyond to visit Sharjah Aquarium to appreciate the beautiful pieces of art that Shamil has created, and to consider the environmental significance of what they represent.” The environmental protection initiative follows a similar event in 2015 when SMD organised a beach clean-up on the shoreline around Al Mamzar Beach. SMD decided this year to focus on recovering rubbish beneath the waves and invited professional divers from Sharjah Rescue Unit-Sharjah Police, Sharjah Aquarium, scuba clubs in the UAE, and licensed volunteer divers to take part. The event was attended by representatives of SMD and its partner organisations, including Sharjah Municipality, the Environment Management Company (Bee’ah), Sharjah Police (Anjad) and Sharjah Rescue Unit. Participating diving centres included Emirates Diving Centre, Happiest Nation Team-Al Tawash Diving Centre, Sohar Omani Diving Centre, Sinan Voluntary team, and Emirates Falcons Diving Group Before the event started, the water was checked to be safe to dive, and an area was cordoned off so as not to be disturbed by passing sea craft. Divers’ licenses were also checked for validity. Divers kitted up in wetsuits and scuba gear then took to the water, removing items from the seabed and, in some cases, using floats to raise them to the surface. Captain Hana El Badawi, head of Happiest Nation Diving Team - Al Tawash Diving Centre, Sharjah, took responsibility for coordinating the divers. “It was an overcast day so the visibility wasn’t great, but we all enjoyed the event and were glad to support such an important initiative,” she said. “It was shocking to see how much rubbish there was on the seabed. These items are not only unsightly, but hugely damaging to marine life. We urge people to think of the consequences before throwing something into the sea.” As divers brought waste items to the surface, teams from Bee’ah, the Sharjah-based waste management company, were on hand with boats, cranes and skips to safely store the rubbish. They took the items to their headquarters to be classified into types of material, checked for safety and hygiene and weighed. Basheer Yousef Al Hamadi from the Sinan Voluntary team salvaged the heaviest item – a large rusty bicycle. A selection of the salvaged items was sent to Sharjah Aquarium, where Mr Maroharzeh set up a work station to cut and weld them into pieces of work that resembled sea creatures including fish skeletons and crustaceans. Mr Maroharzeh, a Sri-Lankan who lives in Abu Dhabi, said: “I’m very proud to be involved in such an important initiative and glad that my skills can turn something as ugly as seabed rubbish into a piece of art that people can appreciate and learn from.” On the last day of the campaign, the divers attended a ceremony at Sharjah Aquarium, where they were thanked for their hard work and invited to the official unveiling of the finished pieces of art. The event was attended by Major Faisal Jasim Al Doukhi, of Sharjah Marine Rescue Unit, in addition to Marwan Al Shamsi, who represented Bee’ah, and the heads of the participating diving centres. The art works are available to view at Sharjah Aquarium. For more information on Sharjah Aquarium and Sharjah’s full line up of museums, visit www.sharjahmuseums.ae. |
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