Clean up of seabed as part of Mapfre Health Week initiatives

The seabed clean-up organised in St Paul's Bay attracted over 20 free divers, most of which are members of Malta Skin Divers. During the event over 500kgs of waste was collected over the span of two hours.

This initiative formed part of the Mapfre Health Week which in Malta saw employees of Mapfre Middlesea and Mapfre MSV Life taking part in various activities held between 8 and 16 June.

The Malta Skin Divers Club was formed back in the early 1970s and consisted of a group of spear fishermen from Birkirkara competing regularly in spearfishing tournaments to win trophies. Originally the club was named Birkirkara Sub Aqua Club but was then changed to Amateur Skin Divers Club and finally the name it has today.

The club's logo was changed various times to reflect the current trends. This year a brand-new logo has been issued and an application has been filed with Sports Malta to become an officially recognised entity. The club is a member of the Federation of Underwater Activities and also of the Federation of Amateur Fishermen Malta.

The club has evolved today and organises a variety of events for its members, which include spearfishing competitions from land and with boats, seabed cleanups, underwater target shooting, participation in discussions by committee members with various stakeholders on fishing and conservation as well as organising philanthropic events whereby the proceeds collected are donated to Istrina.

Matthew Agius, a member of the club, said: “Safety, respect for the environment and conservation are always on top of the agenda for the Malta Skin Divers Club.”

“Such initiatives are very important and it is a way to give something back to the community,” added Ines Silva, HR chief officer at Mapfre Middlesea.