Around 20 divers gathered at the Valletta water polo pitch on Friday to clean up the seabed.

They had already collected around three bags of rubbish after just an hour of diving, organiser Karla Grima said.

Thousands of environmental organisations from all over the world came together to commemorate World Oceans Day.

The clean-up event yesterday was a collaboration between the Atlam Subaqua Club, Raniero Live Life and the Emergency Response Rescue Corps.

“We wanted to raise awareness that our oceans, mighty and infinite as they may seem, are in fact a series of fragile environments which are now feeling the brunt of mankind’s relentless activities,” Ms Grima said.

This was the first time that all the groups had joined forces to clean-up the seabed, she noted.

“We’re expecting to bring up hundreds of glass bottles and cans of beer,” Ms Grima added.

Divers had previously gone on recreational dives and pinpointed locations, which would be suitable for clean-ups, she said.

“Unfortunately, our shores in Malta are littered with dumped rubbish,” Ms Grima noted in a statement. 

“Much of the waste at the bottom of the seabed is made up of single-use plastic items, like cups, plates, spoons and straws,” she added.

The organisers noted that waste in the sea either sinks to the bottom or was carried away by the currents, and could easily be swallowed by sea creatures.

Last Saturday, a group of divers also met up to remove around 70 tyres, which someone had thrown over the cliff side in Miġra l-Ferħa.

The second Atlam Subaqua Club World Oceans Day event will be held next Saturday at Ċirkewwa’s South Quay, where the removal of a number of highly toxic car batteries, mooring fenders and other car parts is planned.

The final event will be on July 22, when the clean-up operations will be reviewed. Marine biologist Alan Deidun will also be giving a talk about alien species that have established themselves in the Mediterranean. The event will be held at Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.