The mission of ‘Healthy Seas, a Journey from Waste to Wear’ initiative is to remove waste, in particular, fishing nets from the seas for the purpose of creating healthier seas and recycling marine litter into textile products. The recovered fishing nets will be transformed and regenerated by Aquafil into ECONYL® yarn, a high-quality raw material used to create new products, such as socks, swimwear or carpets. The discarded, lost, or abandoned fishing nets are sometimes called “ghost nets”, since they continue to catch fish and other marine animals without human involvement. Millions of marine animals, including sharks, dolphins, seals and turtles suffer because of entanglement in these nets which leads to serious injuries and death eventually. By uniting a community of divers who are concerned about the marine environment, Cousteau Divers brings the legacy of Jacques-Yves Cousteau to life, making each diver an agent of the study and conservation of the aquatic realm.
A special ghost net dive to support the Marine Protected Area of Santorini
On World Oceans Day (June 8th) Cousteau Divers in supporting the creation of the first marine protected area (MPA) of one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, Santorini. Thanks to Ghost Fishing and Atlantis Dive Center and with generous support from Carvico S.p.A, the first ever lost or abandoned fishing gear clean up action will be executed at the location which will become the MPA, helping to raise awareness and contributing to a swift and well-placed designation. Students from the Primary School of Oia have been invited to come and meet the diving team which will be ready to share its experiences and hear the kids’ ideas on how they plan to protect the marine environment.
The Santorini Marine Reserve was first envisioned in 2010 by Pierre-Yves Cousteau and Apostolos Stylianopoulos (Atlantis Dive Centre). The vision for the MPA is shared by the locals who understand firsthand the importance of more sustainable fishing practices, from the perspective of protecting both nature and their livelihood. A well-managed, well-sized, well-protected marine sanctuary will have a positive impact on the marine environment while also generating substantial economic benefits by extending the touristic season beyond the summer months and creating jobs, in addition to helping fish stocks replenish.
This highly demanding diving mission will be narrated by Pierre-Yves Cousteau and live streamed on Facebook so stay tuned:
www.facebook.com/events/169288210455119