Divers, hotel staff clean up harbour

NUIGINI Dive Adventures (NDA) and Madang Resort staff jointly helped clean up the Madang Harbour recently.
NDA chief dive instructor Nacanieli Yavala, said the harbour was littered with much garbage and there was a need to organise the cleanathon.
Melanesian Tourist Services (MTS) managing director Sir Peter Barter said his firm continued to clean the seas around the harbour.
“It is not the first time we are doing this.
“My staff and I are very concerned about Madang’s cleanliness,” Sir Peter said, adding that his main concern was the (marine) environment and the effects of the garbage.
“The Madang lagoon is extremely fragile and a prime marine breeding ground.
“The real challenge is to raise public awareness on the need to keep the area clean.
“The public must stop littering the harbour with plastic bags, bottles and cans.
“It is harmful and deadly to turtles and other marine life.”
Sir Peter said rare species of marine life were more susceptible and that the eco system would also be destroyed.
NDA Japanese dive instructor Tetsuya Nakamura said maintaining cleanliness in Madang was a real challenge and “may take time”.
“Keeping our oceans clean is a huge problem because of bad habits. People are treating the sea like a garbage bin,” he added.
Tetsuya said: “NDA and Madang Resort’s staff will continue to do what we can to keep the beach and sea clean. We have stopped asking for help from the Government as we are now trying to educate people while helping out in cleanathons.”