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[av_heading heading=’ Boracay underwater cleanup yields 274-kg trash’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Wednesday, May 17, 2017
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BORACAY – Some 274 kilograms of garbage — mostly plastic materials, cigarette butts and bamboo fragments — were recovered by volunteers during an underwater cleanup in the island resort.
A total of 26 divers helped remove trash from artificial reef domes. They used chisels and hammers to remove shells on the domes at the coral garden managed by the Boracay Foundation, Inc.
The remaining 82 volunteers snorkeled, paddled and cleaned up at the White Beach during the one-hour cleanup on Monday.
“Removing shells dominating the reef domes will allow corals to grow more,” said Haron Deo Vargas, a marine biologist for the Environmental Services Unit of the local government of Malay, Aklan.
The cleanup was part of the coral preservation activity of the BFI in partnership with the Boracay Business Administration of Scuba Shops, Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy, and the local government of Malay.
It was also held as part of the month-long 20th anniversary celebration of the BFI.
Members of Standup Paddlers of Boracay, Junior Paddlers of Boracay All Stars, Boracay Tourist Assistance Center, Boracay Multisports, and Boracay European International School, and several locals joined the cleanup.
Normeth Preglo Parzhuber of the Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy said the activity should be an eye-opener for the volunteers and the general public.
As long as corals thrive in Boracay, tourists and locals should work in protecting and preserving them, Parzhuber stressed. (PNA)
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