With the impact of the BBC’s Blue Planet 2 series bringing marine pollution into sharp focus, BSAC is inviting members to embrace the Marine Clean ethos this – and every - dive season.
Marine litter has become a devastating problem, largely as a result of our increasing use of non-biodegradable and single-use plastic and damaging waste disposal.
Clean up with the BSAC Marine Clean
As divers and snorkellers, we can help turn the tide on marine litter. All BSAC members are being encouraged to include Marine Cleans into their diving and dive trip plans as well as club and family get-togethers – on, in and around the water.
It may be as simple as popping a discarded drink can into your BC pocket on a dive or picking up litter as you stroll on the beach. You could organise a club Underwater Litterpick or get your family and friends involved in a beach clean while away on a dive trip. Whatever you can do this season, sign up to the BSAC Marine Clean.
When you consider that a typical plastic bottle can take a staggering 450 years to break down completely, the impact on our marine environment is shockingly clear. Working together, we can help to turn this tide.
- Mary Tetley, BSAC Chief Executive
It is estimated that around eight million pieces of plastic waste enter our oceans every day and most comes from land-based sources.
How to get involved in the BSAC Marine Clean
- Get your Five-a-Day – embrace the Marine Clean ethos by pledging to collect at least five pieces of single-use plastic every day! Find out more and make your pledge now.
- Marine clean as you dive – get together with your club or your dive buddies and organise an Underwater Litterpick – or commit to being an ‘Underwater Litterpicker’ on every dive. Our BSAC Underwater Litterpick resources will help you get started.
- Clean up topside! Whether it’s part of a family day out to the beach, your surface interval on a club trip or a more organised group effort, make every trip to the beach or coastline a chance to have a tidy up! Beach Cleans – which can also include roads and areas leading up to a beach - can really make a difference in the amount of debris getting into our oceans. Use our Guide to Beach Cleans to get started.