After the success of our Debris Challenge in August 2022, where we collected 10,000 cigarette butts from the bay outside our dive centre, we decided to give ourselves another challenge.
We found a disused 19-litre bottle and decided to put it to good use.
The challenge is simple: collect all the fishing wire we find on our dives during 2023 and see how much we can fill.
To see how much of an issue fishing wire is at our dive sites, we will collect all the wire we find throughout the year (as long as it is safe to do so).
CONTENTS:
The debris issue: fishing wire
As divers, we have seen our fair share of the damage done by discarded fishing line in Malta. From fishing line strangling sea grass and sponges, to entangled marine life. Diving opens up a whole new world, but also opens your eyes to the issue of ghost fishing.
Ghost fishing is the term for all the discarded, abandoned or lost fishing gear in our environment, which - in addition to fishing line - also includes traps and nets. It's called "ghost fishing" because once left unsupervised in the sea, the material carries on trapping marine life.
Fishing line poses several issues when discarded into the sea. It is a real entanglement hazard for marine life, which can prove fatal. With fishing hooks still attached, the line continues to ensnare fish long after it has been discarded. The hooks can break free and cause further injury, while the weight (a heavy lead sinker) can become trapped under rocks, the reef and in coral, moving back and forth in the surge, breaking corals and strangling plants and marine life.
So how can we help?
2023 challenge
While removing fishing line from our dive sites might be a drop in the ocean (pun intended) in eliminating the issue of ghost fishing, we believe every little bit helps. If we remove what we can, we hope our dive sites will be a healthier place. We also want to bring focus to this issue and raise awareness, both within the dive community and beyond. Often people don't know about the issues occurring under the water, and challenges like this help bring attention to where it is needed.
We also find that a lot of divers share our passion for keeping the oceans clean and want to find someone to complete a debris dive with.
We really enjoy our debris dives - the challenge of filling a mesh bag, and that great post-dive moment of seeing just what you pulled out of the ocean that shouldn't be there. It's a great feeling, and we are happy to share it with our divers.
We don't know if we can fill a huge 19-litre water bottle with just fishing wire, but you don't know if you don't try. Every little bit helps.
Safety first
Removing debris from the ocean brings its own risks and hazards, and a diver needs to know and understand these before attempting it. We love removing debris, but a diver's safety always comes first. Our dive staff are trained in removing debris (and knowing what not to remove), and are happy to pass on this knowledge.
Equipment needed
It is important to have the right equipment underwater, which can be taken on any dive.
First, a mesh bag is needed to collect deb. We love the Fourth Element mesh bag, however our dive staff will happily bring one along for you to use when diving with us if you don't have your own.
Compared to other debris, fishing wire has its own unique risks when removing. It is an entanglement hazard for marine life, but also for divers, so care must be taken. It is especially important when untangling fishing wire to have a cutting tool available. We think the Eezycut tool is ideal for this (as well as being a handy tool any diver can make use of), and preferably two, with one accessible by each hand.
Lastly, gloves are needed when collecting debris to avoid cuts to the hands. During the summer, thin gloves are adequate to provide physical protection; in winter, thicker neoprene gloves both protect the hands and provide warmth.
If you are diving with us and would like to borrow gloves and a mesh bag, just let us know and we will happily bring them along and join you in collecting debris.
What next?
Removing fishing wire from our environment isn't the only way to help. It's an ongoing mission against all debris. There are so many ways you can help protect what you love.
The PADI Dive Against Debris Specialty is a great course to learn how to remove trash safely from our oceans, and how to log the data with PADI AWARE so it can be used for policy changes. Make every dive a debris dive.
Having great buoyancy control in the water is a key element of protecting what you love. Our team can show you tips and tricks to improve your buoyancy and position in the water, so you can interact with the environment without needing to touch anything... except the debris as you remove it.
Or simply carry a mesh bag with you on every dive and pick up any trash you see. Every little bit helps.
Written by Susie