During a clean-up day organised by Raleigh International at the world-class dive site Sabah Marine Park, Malaysia, divers removed a fridge, promotional hoardings and large quantities of plastic items from the coral reef.

When divers discover a pristine dive site, the volume of tourism increases - along with the volume of rubbish produced.

Raleigh International volunteers worked with local people and Sabah Parks employees to organise a mass clean-up of the beaches and reefs. Divers spent the day collecting rubbish that had collected on the reef and brought it ashore for disposal, while land-based workers combed the beaches. In all, two tons of rubbish was removed.

"We've all seen images of the devastation man has caused through irresponsible waste disposal. Here, the physical effects of pollution are killing the local wildlife and making it very dangerous for the divers who come to enjoy the delights of the Kota Kinabalu Park. The aim of this project was to highlight how serious the problem is in the region and the damage it does to the local environment and the economy. We've shown that with a little community spirit and determination it's possible to make a significant difference. We're confident that the project has involved enough of the local community to alter the long-term future of the park for the benefit of all" Chris Kent, CEO of Raleigh International told Divernet.


More links of interest
Raleigh International website
Diving Sabah, East Malaysia


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