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Scuba divers remove garbage from coral reefs off Vietnam’s Con Dao Island

Scuba divers remove garbage from coral reefs off Vietnam’s Con Dao Island

Thursday, August 08, 2024, 17:58 GMT+7
Scuba divers remove garbage from coral reefs off Vietnam’s Con Dao Island
A scuba diver removes fishing nets from a coral reef off Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

Off the shore of Con Dao Island in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam, scuba divers have collected several metric tons of waste ensnared on coral reefs.

A recent survey showed that trash was discarded across some 600 hectares of reefs off the island.

Pieces of fishing nets ensnared on a coral reef off Bay Canh Islet, Con Dao Island. Photo: Supplied

Pieces of fishing nets are ensnared on a coral reef off Bay Canh Islet, Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

Since the end of July, more than 2.1 metric tons of garbage, mainly fishing nets and rope, have been removed from the reefs, according to the Con Dao National Park.

Scuba divers have been cleaning up coral reefs off Bay Canh, Cau, Ba, and Tre Lon Islets in a bid to protect marine life.

After using cameras to observe coral reefs damaged by trash, divers drew up a cleanup plan and began removing waste from the reefs. 

An abandoned fishing net trapped on a coral reef off Con Dao Island. Photo: Supplied

Abandoned fishing nets are trapped on a coral reef off Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern VIetnam. Photo: Supplied

Diver Nguyen Nhat Tien said that several fishing nets measuring up to 50 meters long had been swirling around coral reefs.

He and other divers used scissors to cut the large nets into pieces to remove them from reefs in order not to harm the corals.

Empty cans were also found stuck on reefs off Con Dao.

Marine waste collection was seen as a determined effort of the province to promote sustainable development on the island.

Apart from cleaning up coral reefs, the management board of the national park is carrying out garbage collection on beaches and mangrove forests on the island.

A diver cuts a fishing net into pieces to rescue a coral reef off Con Dao Island. Photo: Supplied

A diver cuts a fishing net into pieces to rescue a coral reef off Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

An abandoned fishing net collected from a coral reef off Con Dao Island. Photo: Supplied

Abandoned fishing nets are collected from a coral reef off Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

A cleanup drive is launched on beaches and mangrove forests in the Con Dao National Park. Photo: Supplied

A cleanup drive is launched on beaches and mangrove forests at the Con Dao National Park, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern VietnamPhoto: Supplied

Waste collected from coral reefs off Con Dao Island. Photo: Supplied

Waste is collected from coral reefs off Con Dao Island, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

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Tieu Bac - Dong Ha / Tuoi Tre News

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