Phuket To Stage Biggest Padi 'diving For Debris' Reef Cleanup In World

[Lite Beer]

Phuket to stage biggest PADI ‘Diving for Debris’ reef cleanup in world

Phuket Gazette –

A diver in Florida deals with the tyres that mark the US state’s disastrous attempt of creating an artificial reef from them in the 1960s and ’70s. Photo: Matthew Hoelscher

A liveaboard boat with four Thai ‘Navy SEALs’ dozens of PADI professional divers will be spending two days on the reef in an attempt to raise larger pieces of rubbish off the coral. Photo: NOAA Photo Library

PHUKET: Go-Eco Phuket, a recently established marine environmental group, has announced that it is now looking to stage the biggest PADI “diving for debris” reef cleanup project on record on September 30.

The event has escalated from what was originally expected to be a reef cleanup carried out by a coalition of several PADI dive centers on the island to becoming one the largest dive against debris project in PADI’s history.

The project is sponsored by PADI and the Project AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit group established by PADI in 1989, which held its first International Cleanup Day in 1993.

“I thought it would be the biggest reef cleanup in Thailand, and then we found out maybe the biggest reef cleanup in Asia… then about four days ago we looked at the figures, and if everything goes as plan, it will be the biggest [PADI] ‘Dive Against Debris’ in the world,” PADI regional manager Tony Andrews said on Tuesday.

The Go-Eco Phuket project gained momentum on Monday after a meeting with several government offices including the Phuket Marine Biological Center, Phuket Provincial Administration Office, the Marine Police, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Royal Thai Navy Region 8. The meeting concluded with the various offices offering their full support the project, said Mr Andrews.

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources donated a speedboat for the day as well as two dinghies to transport non-divers to the beach for the beach cleanup.

In addition to some other logistical support, the Marine Police will escort the dive boats for protection and the Royal Thai Navy Region 8 has assigned four Thai Navy SEALs for security on a liveaboard boat. The liveaboard boat will be staying overnight off one of the islands as dive professionals attempt to raise larger pieces of rubbish, explained Mr Andrews.

The project currently has 13 dive boats and more than 200 volunteers registered. However, with the number of interested participants, the group is looking for more boats to be donated to the cause.

Currently, only five of the 13 boats have corporate sponsors: Hilton Worldwide, Rumblefish Adventures, British Business Association of Phuket, Reef Check and Skål. Corporate sponsorship is 15,000 baht and covers the cost of the fuel for the boats, the use of which have been donated to the cause by several dive companies.

In conjunction with the reef and beach cleanup, the Society Environment Economy Knowledge (SEEK), local environmental group established to create continuity within the “green movement” in Phuket, has volunteered to establish and run a pre-dive education program for local school children.

The program is expected to run for about an hour on Chalong Pier. During the program, students will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of the reef and beach cleanups as well as take part in their own cleanup in Chalong.

The reef cleanup is also sponsored the Phuket Gazette and will be covered on national television (UBC/True Visions, channel 99) by the Gazette’s new show Phuket Today. The show airs six times per week. For the schedule, see October’s True Visions programming guide.

Phuket businesses interested in joining the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Gazette as a sponsor of “Dive Against Debris” are invited to contact any local PADI dive center, or Tony Andrews, Regional Manager of PADI

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2012/Phuket-to-stage-biggest-PADI-Diving-for-Debris-reef-cleanup-in-world-17928.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-09-16

[NomadJoe]

There as also an after party event at Kan Eang 2 with live music, a raffle, and a silent auction of dive gear donated by local PADI Dive Centers.

[theblether]

An excellent initiative, I hope it goes well.

[BookMan]

Should be a fun day for everyone involved in giving their time to clean up the reefs a little bit.

I'm always interested to see what things are dragged up to the surface in these clean ups.

[Stanley Jerd]

where do volunteer divers sign up?

[stevenl]

where do volunteer divers sign up?

Send me an email/PM and we can still get you in.

[NomadJoe]

Should be a fun day for everyone involved in giving their time to clean up the reefs a little bit.

I'm always interested to see what things are dragged up to the surface in these clean ups.

Every dive we do here as instructors/divemasters (at least the instructors/divemasters I know) is a reef clean-up dive, and this is what we teach our students as well and I make sure my students or divers I am guiding see me doing it to try to set a good example.

Nearly all the garbage I pick up is very clearly from fishing vessels/fisherman. Such as discarded nets (lots of those) fishing hook wrappers, fishing line, fishing lures, rice/ice bags, fisherman's friend wrappers, nori seaweed/shrimp flavored Lays bags wrappers, things like that. Also beer bottles and cans. Leo seems to be the favorite.

Education is the key, but changing mind sets is difficult. Most dive boat crews come from the fishing industry so sadly we still hear stories such as used oil being dumped straight into the sea, for example. Baby steps.

Edited September 16, 2012 by NomadJoe

[BookMan]

Should be a fun day for everyone involved in giving their time to clean up the reefs a little bit.

I'm always interested to see what things are dragged up to the surface in these clean ups.

Every dive we do here as instructors/divemasters (at least the instructors/divemasters I know) is a reef clean-up dive, and this is what we teach our students as well and I make sure my students or divers I am guiding see me doing it to try to set a good example.

Nearly all the garbage I pick up is very clearly from fishing vessels/fisherman. Such as discarded nets (lots of those) fishing hook wrappers, fishing line, fishing lures, rice/ice bags, fisherman's friend wrappers, nori seaweed/shrimp flavored Lays bags wrappers, things like that. Also beer bottles and cans. Leo seems to be the favorite.

Education is the key, but changing mind sets is difficult. Most dive boat crews come from the fishing industry so sadly we still hear stories such as used oil being dumped straight into the sea, for example. Baby steps.

It's a shame that so much rubbish is being dumped over the side of boats, nets being cut loose, fishing lines everywhere.

Good to see dive schools are doing something about it where they can and educating new divers to do the same.

[Stanley Jerd]

where do volunteer divers sign up?

Send me an email/PM and we can still get you in.

i just acceted an invitation from Kon Tiki, thanks all the same, Ill see you at the pier