Tel Aviv [Israel], June 13 (TN/TPS): In recognition of Oceans Day, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection funded underwater cleaning dives in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea as part of the “Clean Beach” program. The dives were conducted under the leadership of the “Sea Guard” of the Israel Diving Association in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority.
55 divers participated in the cleanup dives that took place last weekend at Givat Aliya in Jaffa, on the beaches of Herzliya and on the beach of Dor-Nachsholim, collecting about 120 kg of waste, mostly made of plastic, disposable food packaging and drink cans. The waste was removed and sorted, and the information collected during the dives will be monitored and used to understand the sources of the waste and find solutions to the environmental problem it causes, as well as to increase awareness.

The next dives will take place on June 16 and June 23-24, 2023.
The Clean Coast Plan is a national action plan to address the problem of marine waste in Israel, and is derived from the requirements of the Barcelona Convention. The program emphasizes informing the general public about the need to prevent hazards from marine waste and especially plastic waste, which is the main waste in Israel.
The year 2023 is the 18th year of the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s Clean Coast Program. The purpose of the program is to minimize the danger of coastal and marine waste in Israel and to act to clean the beaches and the sea according to an international commitment, for the benefit of the environment and the public in Israel. (TN/TPS)