Clean-up raises funds for conservation

WHEN local scuba diver, Roxy Zunckel noticed the litter piling up on the beaches and Vetch's Pier, she decided to do something about it and organised a beach clean up.

“I was so tired of seeing litter on the beaches and on the reef called Vetch's Pier. This reef is a training reef that I take many of my students to and it's never a nice thing for them to be introduced to diving and to just see litter,” said Zunckel.

Roxy incorporated the beach part of the clean-up to allow families to take part – as well as to focus on the areas that are seen everyday, unlike the reefs that many people don't get to see.

“What I have also noticed quite often is that people blatantly walk past litter on our beaches and leave our bit of paradise looking like dump. So this event was aimed at making the public a little bit more aware of the things that can be done to help,” she said.

MACE (Marine biodiversity, Aquaculture, Conservation Education and Ecophysiology) Lab from UKZN sent volunteers to help count every single piece of litter that came in and record the data for scientific purposes.

A total of 89kg of litter was collected and 3 617 pieces of litter were picked up on Saturday.

The event was also focused at raising money for an organisation called Project AWARE, which is affiliated to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and focuses on projects like diving against debris and shark and ray conservation. Roxy held a raffle for a set of fins, mask and snorkel and tickets were sold at R15 each. The R2 000 raised on the day went to ProjectAWARE.org.

“What's even better is that PADI will match the amount that we raised!” said Roxy.

Roxy thanked her sponsors, Durban Undersea Club, Rob Allen Spearfishing, Calypso Dive and Adventure, Ushaka Marine World, Ocean Basket Durban North, Surfed Out Surf School, Scubapro, Umoya-Nilu Consulting, Checkers, Fruit and Veg, and Van.Go Photography.