PADI Diver and Dive Against Debris champion, Rob Thompson, is delighted to have been given the opportunity to discuss the growing problem of plastic in the ocean with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at the Ocean Plastics Awareness Day on July 22nd.
“It was a great honour to represent the diving communities’ interest in the marine litter crisis at the Ocean Plastics Awareness Day” commented Rob Thompson, leader of the Dive Against Debris Volunteers UK group.
In full diving gear, members of the Dive Against Debris Volunteers UK group shared their unique views on what lies beneath the waves highlighting what for most people is out of sight, out of mind.
As shown on the Dive Against Debris Map, plastic items are consistently the top items reported by scuba divers – accounting for almost 70% of all debris items reported since the Dive Against Debris programme launched in 2011.
Hosted by Surfers Against Sewage, the Marine Conservation Society and Clean Cornwall, the event brought together groups and NGOs committed to fighting back against the onslaught of marine litter, one of the biggest ocean issues of our time.
The global annual plastic production has boomed from 1.7 million tons in 1950 to almost 300 million tons today. Far too much of that plastic ends up in the ocean, killing marine life and destroying habitats.
Solutions to the marine litter problem and the Ugly Journey of our Trash are not possible without partnerships, large and small, and a groundswell of support for change.
Join the fight against marine debris, conduct regular Dive Against Debris surveys and teach the Dive Against Debris Distinctive Specialty Course to help build an army of debris activists in the UK and around the world. Go to projectaware.org for more information.
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