Divers say ‘no’ to straws
DIVERS backed the No Straws North Cyprus campaign launched by three expats when they collected almost a tonne of rubbish from an Alsancak beach and surrounding sea in just two hours on Sunday.
Pete Newey and his Deep Penetration dive team sported No Straws North Cyprus stickers for their clean-up at Oris Beach.
A haul of plastic straws was among six large sack of debris collected onshore by almost a dozen volunteers in 40 minutes before the team continued their collection underwater.
Many divers complained about the amount of undersea rubbish. Claims that a cargo of landfill plastic en route to Turkey had spilled into the sea were dismissed by Girne and Gazimağusa port authorities.
However an Environmental Protection Department spokesman explained: “All the ships are dumping their rubbish into the sea. In fact no-one can sell plastic for recycling at the moment as the price has dropped because there is plenty to collect for free in war-torn Syria.”
More bar and restaurant owners signed up this week for the new campaign which encourages a “straw on demand” policy of opting for environmentally friendly alternatives like widegauge pasta.
Claire Morley, who launched the No Straws drive last week with Pete Harrell and his wife, Vashti, said: “Plastic straws are a huge problem in our oceans and as an important turtle breeding ground, we want to raise awareness of the danger to North Cyprus marine life and encourage a reduction in use.
“Legislation on plastic bag charges and the building of a recycling plant will require government involvement and we hope to encourage this but, for now, please support us in the area we know we can make a positive and immediate change.”
Campaigners for endangered marine turtles confirmed the danger posed by plastics to the creatures, now embarking on their annual nesting season on North Cyprus’s sands.
Karşıyaka Turtle Watch former chairman and member Moyra Hasan said: “At the moment there’s a lot of plastic debris getting washed ashore. On Güzelyalı beach, we are collecting between one and two black bin bags full of rubbish every morning!”
Biologist and turtle researcher Robin Snape welcomed the No Straws initiative which, he said, gave everyone the chance to do something pos- itive. He voiced concerns over the long-term effects of plastic waste on marine life, adding: “Post-graduate research by Emily Duncan at Alagadi has analysed micro- plastics in beach sand and in turtle guts, showing not only plastic but the presence of microscopic bits from car tyres which are washed from roads into the sea.
“Her . . . models show that plastic waste brought by ocean gyres to [the TRNC’s] north and west coasts, which are the worst affected, has mostly Turkish or Arabic writing on it. It is probably discharged directly into the sea and not from landfill.”