VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO KEEP POLLENSA BAY CLEAN

Palma.—But, 20-year-old American rescue diver Chance Logan Piccolo believes that more action has got to be taken and today, through the Bulletin, he is launching a plea for volunteers from across the island to help in a mass clean up of the Bay of Pollensa in mid-September. “I moved here from Arizona last year to qualify as a diving instructor and, as part of my training, noticed just what the article in the Bulletin last year referred to. So, back in June, in association with the Pollensa environmentalist Antoni March and the local Scuba Mallorca shop in the Port, eight of us, with a boat and a jet ski, conducted a coastal cleanup from the Illa D'or Hotel to the beginning of the Bay. “We collected about 45 kilos of garbage, including massive boat batteries found at the bottom, three in total. We did fairly well but lacked public attention and funding so our efforts went unnoticed by the local people, who contribute to littering just as much as the tourists. “So, a following cleanup never took place. I believe that a ‘clean Pollensa' can be achieved through public awareness, the right incentives, team work, and the enforcement of littering laws. “We were in contact with the council but our line of communication has totally dried up and I am even contacting a a volunteer group in Valencia to see of they can help either by sending divers or sharing information. “The sea bed is a total mess but we need to take a scientific approach, not just send divers down every now and then. “We need to first locate the worst black spots, mark them and then, hopefully with a small army of local volunteers, tackle the worst affected areas. I hope to conduct another clean up next month and we need all the people we can get. Certified open sea divers, snorkelers, boats and people who can clean near the sea shore in shallow waters and, in an ideal world, I would like this to become a regular annual event. “We need to keep the shore and the sea bed clean to protect the tourist industry and the marine ecosystem. They go hand in hand and that is why so many millions of people come here to live or on holiday and divers are extremely eco-friendly. We need to be more proactive in conserving our environment, be it on land or at sea and if the councils will not do it, then I guess we will have to do it ourselves. “I want to create a permanent clean the Port of Pollensa brigade,” he added.
If you want to join the conservation brigade then contact: changeconservation@gmail.com