Israeli and Jordanian divers team up to clean Eilat Sea
Baku, September 23, AZERTAC
Some 450 divers from Israel and another five from Jordan and 300 participants on foot from Israel and Jordan joined forces and participated in the first-ever ecological, boundaries-free festival during which they cleaned the triangular border area of Israel-Egypt-Jordan, according to TPS news agency.
The festival was conducted over the weekend during the International Beach Clean-Up Day and the United Nations’ International Peace Day on Saturday.
Over a ton of garbage was collected from the sea bed, including a supermarket wagon and a bicycle. A coin jug found at the bottom of the sea was probably thrown into the water after an attempted robbery that occurred years ago in one of the clubs on the beach in Eilat.
The artist Einat Stenkler created an artistic display from some of the collected junk.
The Red-Sea Eco Festival included events for the whole family to raise awareness to marine conservation and to promote regional collaboration in the Gulf of Aqaba and the Eilat area.
As a result of global warming and anthropogenic-induced pollution, coral reefs around the world are suffering from rapid deterioration. Coral reefs are only 0.1% of the oceans, yet are home to more than 25% of marine organisms.
Furthermore, reefs are of high importance to mankind as they serve as a source for biomedical inventions and patents. Scientists anticipate that 60% of the worlds’ reefs will be in a severe state and that by 2030, most of them will be extinct.
Israeli scientists have introduced several innovations to combat this phenomenon, including the deployment of 3D printed corals that can replace degraded habitats in the future.
The Red-Sea Eco Festival is a product of collaboration among a wide variety of businesses, environmental authorities, including the Environmental Unit of Eilat’s Municipality and the Aqaba Diving Association, a Jordanian environmental organization.
WeSea, a non-profit, international, marine-emphasizing organization which organizes cleaning events and workshops to sensibilize a large public about the sea world and the different pollutions threatening it partnered in the event.
“The reason we chose the Red Sea Triangle is that if we start in this region and gain cooperation, it will be an example for other regions of the world,” said a WeSea spokesperson.
Building on the success story in southern Israel, WeSea plans to hold similar events in the India -Pakistan area, between Turkey and Greece, and also with Saudi Arabia and Israel.
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