KOTA KINABALU: Divers spent Malaysia Day cleaning up marine debris in Pulau Sepanggar waters here as part of efforts to promote awareness on ocean conservation.
A team of 24 divers from the Sabah Diving Squad Club led by its chairman Sim Fui carried out the underwater cleanup off Mari Mari Sepanggar Island as part of their community effort to highlight the importance of protecting the country's marine heritage.
The divers collected 110kg of debris underwater and brought it ashore to sort and weigh.
The debris included ghost nets and other discarded fishing materials that could endanger sea life that gets entangled in them.
Sim Fui said Malaysia Day was not only about celebrating as Malaysians, but also about taking responsibility for the country including the sea, islands and marine ecosystems which are part of that heritage.
"As divers, we see first-hand the impact of marine debris. Ghost nets and other discarded fishing gear can continue to trap marine life, while plastic waste can remain in the environment for years.
"We hope this cleanup will remind people that protecting our oceans is a shared responsibility. Reducing our reliance on single-use plastics is a simple step everyone can take," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 16).
The club also used the programme to raise awareness of reducing single-use plastics and preventing waste from reaching the ocean.
Sim said the cleanup complemented efforts to keep beaches and coastal areas clean, stressing that rubbish in the sea was often connected to waste generated on land.
"What we see underwater is a reminder that our actions on land can eventually affect the sea.
"Beach and underwater cleanups are connected because preventing waste from entering our waterways is the best form of marine conservation," he said.
He said the club hoped the Malaysia Day initiative would encourage more Malaysians to take ownership of the environment and contribute to its protection through simple, consistent actions.
