BSAC is encouraging its members to become underwater litter pickers this summer and help clean up our seas and waterways.
Over the coming months, BSAC hopes that as many members and clubs as possible will pick up the underwater litter pick baton and incorporate regular marine clean ups into their diving plans.
Whether it’s an organised one-off dive or a regular feature on your club’s diving calendar, a multi-club event or simply a marine clean up dive with friends, the underwater litter pick ethos can add more purpose to your diving over the summer months. And, by retrieving and collecting marine litter during a dive, BSAC members can help to make a difference to the health of our oceans.
Man-made pollution has become a significant threat to our marine environment and its inhabitants, with an estimated 8-13 million tonnes of plastic waste alone entering our oceans every year. And just one item of single-use plastic in the sea or on a beach can take up to 500 years to decompose.
However, BSAC Chief Executive Mary Tetley believes both divers and snorkellers can help turn the tide on this marine litter and create a cleaner future for our seas.
Mary explained:
A simple action such as collecting litter we find as we dive can make a difference, and the more BSAC members who get involved, the greater the impact we can have.
It could be a litter pick on your favourite regular dive site, or a focused club effort during a longer dive trip. You could also incorporate topside beach cleans into your underwater litter pick event so all of your club and their families can take part.
Underwater cleaning can be fun, as well as satisfying, with your diving or snorkelling skills helping to boost the health of our precious marine environment.
To support clubs and members get into the underwater litter pick spirit, BSAC has a range of resources available to download from the BSAC website, including a guide on how to plan and organise an underwater litter pick as well as safe underwater litter picking advice.
Members and clubs can also share the results of their underwater litter picks by posting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #BSACdivers so BSAC can showcase the collective impact being made.
Mary added:
Whatever your underwater litter pick plans this summer, record what you find, take photos and then let us know as BSAC would love to share your marine clean success stories!
For more information on the BSAC underwater litter pick and to download the associated resources, go to bsac.com/underwaterlitterpick
To share your underwater litter pick photos and news with BSAC email marketing@bsac.com
