Sharjah: Divers taking part at the latest Sharjah Museums Authority’s annual marine clean-up campaign have successfully removed 440kg of marine waste from the bottom of Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah.
As many as 42 divers and volunteers from Sharjah Aquarium and Emirates Diving Centre participated in the 10th campaign which kicked off recently from Khalid Lagoon, the organisers said in a press release. The campaign falls under the authority’s social responsibility initiative “Because We Care.”
Held in partnership with Bee’ah, Sharjah Police, Sharjah Municipality and Emirates Diving Centre, the initiative resulted in fishing out waste including plastic, bottles, glass, tyres, and wood among other different types of debris.
“The campaign is aimed at cleaning up the coasts of Sharjah while simultaneously instilling an understanding of the importance of preserving marine environment,” said Rashid Al-Shamsi, curator of Sharjah Aquarium.
He noted that this year’s location was specifically chosen to further engage people.
“We have decided to focus on Khalid Lagoon in an effort to reach out to as many people as possible because it’s an attraction that witnesses heavy footfall,’ he added.
The campaign was accompanied by a number of workshops aimed at teaching children how to upcycle plastic waste and transform it into artworks, while educating pupils about the importance of protecting nature.
Since 2016, the Marine Clean-up campaign had successfully removed a total of 13.7 tons of waste from different shores in Sharjah emirate and organised accompanying workshops targeting all community members.
