'A Shock': Divers Fish For Waste To Preserve Greece's Aegean Shores

On the Greek island of Naxos, two divers reeled in not the catch of the day but a jumble of cable, rope, fishing nets and old clothes from the seafloor

Nxos, Greece, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Nov, 2022 ) :On the Greek island of Naxos, two divers reeled in not the catch of the day but a jumble of cable, rope, fishing nets and old clothes from the seafloor.

They are part of a dozen-strong team from Aegean Rebreath, marine conservationists who for the past five years have sought to preserve the azure waters that attract millions of holidaymakers every summer.

On a bright winter's day, they fished out tires, chairs, mobile phones, cutlery, CDs, and a broom, alongside dozens of cans and bottles.

"We have extracted more than a ton of marine waste from the port (in two days)," said George Sarelakos, the group's co-founder and head.

"The other side of the harbour is a real dumping ground," said Sarelakos, 44.

Greece's struggle with marine pollution is not new.

In 2019, actor Leonardo DiCaprio said in an Instagram post that there were plastic bags, toilet seats and hundreds of discarded fishing nets "stuck to the seabed" of nearby Andros island.