Diving deep for cleaner seas

4:50pm Friday 19th September 2008

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Divers will plunge to the murky depths of the Pembrokeshire seabed this weekend to retrieve rubbish in the name of conservation.

Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners – NARC – is the only group in Wales to support the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Beachwatch clean-up weekend by collecting rubbish underwater.

“Just because it is out of sight, it is not out of our minds.”

Dave Kennard, Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners

NARC plans a clean sweep at Stackpole Quay tomorrow (Saturday) and Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock, on Sunday. This dedicated band of divers anticipates finding shopping trolleys and bicycles as well as bottles, cans and lost angling rigs. They also expect to find and set free wildlife that will be trapped in the litter.

Both of NARC’s clean-up sites are in the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, an area of European marine importance. NARC’s volunteer divers think that since the SAC deserves protection it certainly shouldn’t be used as a rubbish dump.

“Just because it is out of sight, it is not out of our minds,” said Dave Kennard, NARC’s organiser.

“We’re really grateful for sponsorship from the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC and Keep Wales Tidy to help cover the costs of this weekend’s clean-ups. And if any more divers want to join us they’d be welcome.”

Beachwatch is timed to coincide with International Coastal Clean-up day, a global event when volunteers from more than 70 countries both clean beaches and the seabed, and record what they find.