When Etiqa Life Insurance employee Audrey Soh was put in charge of the company's corporate social responsibility program, she expected to fill the docket with visible, photogenic initiatives.
Cleaning up the ghost nets from the Malaysian sea floor isn't that — but it is impactful and necessary, and she and her handpicked team are delighted to be doing it, as the New Straits Times reported.
"Ghost nets are one of the main sources of pollution in the sea," said Soh, per the Times. "Many of them are old or damaged, and instead of being disposed of properly, they're just thrown into the water. They're made of plastic — sometimes even metal — and when they settle on the seabed, they smother corals and restrict their growth."
Not only do they damage coral, but ghost gear also entangles other sea creatures, both as they float in the water column and after they settle on the seafloor. Many creatures die this way, either due to lack of food, injuries, or lack of oxygen (in the case of animals like sea turtles and dolphins that need to surface for air). Soh and her team free as many animals as they can, but many more die before they can get there.
Removing the nets isn't a simple task, either. While Etiqa Life Insurance has been involved in restoring coral reefs by planting new coral, a relatively simple task that can be performed by a wide range of volunteers, retrieving ghost nets is actually dangerous. They are found in murky water and can entangle people the same way that they entangle animals. Only experienced divers can clean them up.
Undaunted, Soh put together a team of just such divers, and together they have been joining the effort to uncover local reefs and restore them to health by removing ghost nets. This also removes a major source of plastic pollution in local oceans, since discarded plastic sheds microplastics that can enter our waterways and food chain.
Stay hydrated and refreshed this holiday season — without any sugar or harmful additives Nuun’s zero-sugar hydration tablets are a perfect, guilt-free way to enhance your water throughout the day. You’ll get five essential electrolytes for everyday hydration — with zero grams of sugar. Plus, Nuun tablets are certified vegan and gluten-free, and they’re the perfect size to keep in your car, purse, or anywhere you'll want a healthy, restorative drink. Learn more → |
"Removing even one net means giving that part of the ocean a second life," said Soh's colleague Mohd Asyraf Mohd Arif, per the Times. "My hope is that more Malaysians realize our underwater world needs help not just from divers, but from everyone who depends on the sea. If we work together, we can stop these reefs from dying quietly beneath the waves."
Not everyone has the diving qualifications necessary to directly remove these nets. However, people on land can help by reporting ghost nets whenever they are spotted and by using less plastic in their everyday lives.
|
How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Extremely 😫 
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
