The first Eco container for marine litter has been installed in Omiš as part of the initiative From river to the sea – let’s be plastic free. The container will be used by Sub-merus (Calypso diving center) and volunteers from the Marine Conservation Volunteer Program for their regular seabed cleaning activities.
–This has been a long process. We are proud of this achievement, – said Tino Mrčelić, director of Sub-merus and project manager.
Eco container
Sub-merus obtained this container from the company TEHNIX, thanks to funding from the Beyond Plastic Med initiative.
Employees and volunteers of Sub-merus cleaned the public area of Punta in Omiš near the boat hoist, provided by the City of Omiš for the setup of an Eco container.
– We are grateful to the City of Omiš for providing the area for the purpose of preserving the marine environment, as well as for collaboration with the municipal company Peovica. In their recycling yard, we deposit the collected and sorted marine litter, – said Mrčelić.
Volunteers are already planning how they will deposit the marine litter they collect during their daily dives. They hope that these quantities of waste will decrease eventually. – It is important to emphasize that this Eco container is intended exclusively for marine litter, – Mrčelić warns.
Blue Oceans SSI certificate
As of this year Calypso diving center is part of the SSI Blue Oceans network. Calypso diving center has successfully met both technical criteria and is now a proud Blue Oceans partner. The SSI Blue Oceans movement supports the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic habitats, including oceans, rivers and coastlines.
– To qualify for the certification, we had to meet various conditions, – Mrčelić said, listing some of them, including proper waste management and implementation of measures to reduce waste and save energy.
– With educational activities and underwater clean-ups we aim to raise ecological awareness among young volunteers, – stated Nataalia Sviatenko, a diving instructor at Calypso diving center. Her colleague, Kristina Hassel, added that it is important to inform also the local community about marine pollution that professional diving instructors face daily.
Education and monitoring of marine litter
As part of the initiative From River to the Sea – Let’s Be Plastic Free, Sunce regularly conducts educational workshops for volunteers at Calypso diving center. Volunteers from around the world learn about marine litter, how it is generated and its environmental consequences through these educational workshops.
Volunteers of the Marine Conservation Program clean the marine environment during their daily dives throughout the week, collecting marine litter. At the end of the week, with the assistance of Sunce staff and volunteers, the waste is sorted and documented following the protocol for monitoring marine litter. Finally, it is properly disposed of at Peovica’s recycling yard.
– It is nice to see young people from around the world making an effort to protect the sea. I am happy to contribute to marine environment protection by participating in this initiative, – said Milijana Bogdanoska, Sunce volunteer.
Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić from Sunce stated that participants, upon completing Sunce’s educational program, can reproduce basic information about marine litter and independently utilize equipment and procedures for its monitoring.