Around 1.8 tonnes of waste were cleared from the Marsaxlokk and Marsalforn seabeds in two clean-ups led by 30 scuba divers. 

The waste ranged from glass and plastic bottles to tyres, engine parts, discarded rope and the rusty remains of a ladder. 

Both clean-ups were organised by the Malta Airport Foundation, a foundation set up by Malta International Airport to fund initiatives related to Malta’s heritage and environment. It is the second consecutive year that the foundation has organised underwater cleanups. 

Divers from Calypso Subaqua Club and Atlam Subaqua Club as well as several other volunteers led the clean-up efforts. 

Some of the plastic litter collected in Marsaxlokk. Photo: Malta Airport Foundation

In Marsaxlokk, divers collected around 800kg of marine debris. A further 1 tonne was collected in the Gozitan seaside town of Marsalforn, although divers were relieved to note very little plastic waste here. 

“By 2050, the plastic in our oceans could outweigh the fish inhabiting them,” said foundation chairman Josef Formosa Gauci.

“If we are to turn the tide on this situation, we cannot merely keep relying on the efforts of a handful of volunteers and organisations which have the environment at heart. While the foundation is proud to be doing its bit for cleaner seas, it also hopes to inspire more and more organisations and individuals to follow suit,” he said.