Latest news with #TheodoraFrancis
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Divers cleaning seabed off Greek island Alonissos raise alarm over pollution
Items recovered off Alonissos represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. (Wikimedia Commons pic) ALONISSOS : Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered off Alonissos – a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters, and Europe's largest protected marine park – represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for over 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made both locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, one of the divers who joined the two-day initiative. 'We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas,' Francis said. 'In most of those areas we didn't… but in some areas we did.' She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth €780 million. It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. 'People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this,' said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. 'If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands.'
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Greece's eco divers battle litter in Europe's largest marine park
ALONISSOS (Greece), May 28 — Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered off Alonissos — a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters, and Europe's largest protected marine park — represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for over 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made both locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, one of the divers who joined the two-day initiative. 'We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas,' Francis said. 'In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did.' She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. A volunteer of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath sorts through waste gathered from the bottom of the seabed of the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 25, 2025. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth €780 million (RM3.7 billion). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30 per cent of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. 'People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this,' said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. 'If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands.' — Reuters
The Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Greek island clean up begins as plastic bottles and garbage litter seabed
Off the Greek island of Alonissos, volunteer divers are working to clean up the seabed in Europe's largest protected marine park. Decaying plastic bottles, a discarded tyre, and rusted anchor chains are just some of the items they have pulled from the turquoise waters. This cleanup effort, funded by the EU, aims to protect the diverse marine life that calls this sanctuary home. The waters around Alonissos, a popular tourist destination in the eastern Aegean Sea, are part of a marine park established in the early 1990s. This park provides a crucial habitat for a variety of species, including one of the world's last remaining colonies of the endangered Monk seal, more than 300 fish species, dolphins, and sea turtles. However, the park, like much of the Mediterranean Sea, faces a significant threat from pollution, with tens of thousands of tons of waste entering its waters annually. Theodora Francis, 31, a volunteer diver participating in the two-day cleanup, noted that the park's existence has raised awareness among both locals and tourists about the dangers of marine pollution. The recovered items represent just a small fraction of the debris impacting the delicate ecosystem. "We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas," Francis, 31, said. "In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did." She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth 780 million euros ($887.5 million). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. "People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this," said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. "If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands."
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Divers cleaning up seabed off Greece's Alonissos island raise alarm over marine pollution
Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered at Alonissos, a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters and Europe's largest protected marine park, represent a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for more than 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, a diver who joined the two-day initiative. "We visited about five areas to check whether we would find rubbish," Francis said. "In most areas we didn't but in some we did." She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth €780m (R15.8bn). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. "People all over the globe should know we have the strength to change everything. We believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this," said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. "If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands."
Reuters
6 days ago
- Reuters
Divers cleaning up seabed off Greece's Alonissos raise alarm over marine pollution
ALONISSOS, Greece, May 27 (Reuters) - Off the Greek island of Alonissos in the eastern Aegean Sea, volunteer divers grab decaying plastic bottles, a tyre and a rusted anchor chain from the seabed and place them in a trash bag as part of an EU-funded cleanup to protect marine life. The items recovered off Alonissos - a favourite tourist spot for its green-blue waters, and Europe's largest protected marine park - represent just a tiny part of the tens of thousands of tons of waste that litter the Mediterranean Sea every year. The park, set up off Alonissos in the early 1990s, is home to one of the world's last remaining colonies of the Monk seal, and a refuge for over 300 fish species, dolphins and sea turtles. Its existence has made both locals and tourists increasingly aware of the risks of marine pollution, said Theodora Francis, 31, one of the divers who joined the two-day initiative. "We visited five, four areas to check whether we find rubbish in those areas," Francis said. "In most of those areas we didn't... but in some areas we did." She said the main port of Votsi, where most tourism and fishing occurs, was the site of most litter. To protect its coastal biodiversity, Greece has promised to create another two marine parks in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea in the west, part of 21 initiatives worth 780 million euros ($887.5 million). It has legislated the expansion of marine protected areas to 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, and has submitted plans to the EU setting out how it will organise fishing, tourism and offshore energy. "People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything. We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, we invest in this," said George Sarelakos, 46, president of the Greece-based agency which organised the cleanup, Aegean Rebreath. For Francis, Alonissos can be a model for the protection of the seas. "If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands." ($1 = 0.8789 euros)
