Παρασκευή 22.11.2024 ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ

Aegean Rebreath: Anemomylos seabed was relatively clean but Paleokatritsa was an eye-opener!

Aegean Rebreath
24 Μαΐου 2021 / 12:49

CORFU. Conclusions following the clean-up of the seabeds at Anemomylos and Paleokastritsa.

There have been many beach clean-ups over the last few years, mainly carried out by volunteers, but cleaning up the seabed can only be done by experienced divers with professional equipment.

Consequently, the Aegean Rebreath team found and cleaned up everything that can't be seen by the naked eye.

After emerging from the sea at Anemomylos and Garitsa the divers said that they had found the seabed relatively clean with very little rubbish. This is good news for the many winter swimmers and those that swim in the summer - mainly town residents.



Things were very different, however, in Paleokastritsa. Although the quality of the water is excellent, there was a huge amount of plastic waste and waste from boats.

Along with the usual plastic bottles and nets the divers found a whole lot of other waste including tyres and car batteries! Demonstrating that there is still a long way to go before there is the proper awareness amongst the general public.

The group's first project of 2021 took place in collaboration with Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands Municipality following the memorandum of cooperation signed by the two parties. Corfu volunteer divers and winter swimmers also helped.

This complex and ambitious project follows the signing of a memorandum of cooperation by Aegean Rebreath, Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands Municipality and Corfu Port Authority, which, apart from the cleaning up of the seabed, also includes setting up a marine litter station and carrying out a series of comprehensive activities.

Aegean Rebreath, through its activities, aspires to introduce a new culture according to which less waste will be produced while encouraging recycling and upcycling of marine litter following the principles of the circular economy. Its goal is to highlight the importance of the quality of the marine environment for ecosystems, climate, the economy and society.
 
In April there was a preliminary online meeting to create the first network of municipalities for the protection of the marine environment in Greece, of which Central Corfu Municipality was one of the first members.

The Deputy Minister for Environment and Energy Giorgos Amiras took part in the meeting and Central Corfu Municipality was represented by Panayiota Tzanne, Deputy Mayor and project manager for the EU 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC), and Viktoras Dimoulis, assistant project manager.

This weekend's project was part of Central Corfu Municipality's participation in the ICC.