Muscat – Quriyat Divers organised a coral reef clean-up campaign in Quriyat on Sunday. Eight divers participated in the clean-up activity.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Juma Khamis al Amri, head of Quriyat Divers, said, “The clean-up was held in the Al Hidab area of Quriyat. Divers worked from 3pm to 7:30pm at depths of 19m and removed 350kg of fishing nets.”

Besides cleaning up, according to Amri, the initiative also aimed at spreading awareness on preserving coral reefs from pollutants and remnants of fishing equipment, preventing the dumping of waste, and encouraging volunteerism among communities.

“These campaigns are ideal opportunities to make a positive change that serves the marine environment by removing marine debris that spoil the beauty of nature.

“Continuous activities of cleaning the marine environment from fishing waste contribute to increasing fish production, preserving endangered species and maintaining a clean marine environment,” Amri said.

He added that the biggest challenge that divers face while carrying out marine cleaning activities come from discarded fishing nets, which are also responsible for the deaths of many marine creatures.

According to Amri, the clean-up activity on Aril 23 was part of a series of campaigns Quriyat Divers is conducting in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Environment Authority and the Coast Guard. To date 23 clean-up activities have been held.

“The team is enthused to continue the important work of cleaning Oman’s seas. We hope fishermen abide by fishing laws issued by the competent authorities and use modern methods of fishing and technology to preserve our marine wealth,” said Amri.