Environmentally responsible diving
Marine conservation as a concept is relatively new. It was only in the 1960s that it was generally acknowledged that major fish populations were in decline and ecosystems were dramatically deteriorating. Today, marine conservation is considered one of the greatest scientific problems on our planet.
Ecosystems have changed irreversibly, ocean management is fragmented and oceans are managed independently of the terrestrial (land) environment.
Given that 71% of our planet is covered by water, the state of our waterways is now one of our most pressing issues.
Our oceans have been negatively affected over the past few years by a range of problems:
climate change
pollution
eutrophication (simply put, the ecosystem’s reaction to additional artificial substances such as fertilisers, detergents and sewage)
overfishing
acidification
sedimentation
Some of the effects of theses factors are very visible, like less fish on your plate or a deteriorating dive-site, but most of them are unfortunately invisible.
The problem with invisibility, is that it is very difficult to understand a full chain of events- so how an invisible problem can lead to serious issues. For example, an increased input of nutrients in the water (by fertilizers and raw sewage) can lead to an Algae bloom on the surface, which smells a bit funny, but isn’t a problem in itself. The issue here is that the Algae casts a shadow over the water, which has direct implications for other organisms below the surface of the water- for example they can’t photosynthesise, and even worse, when the bloom dies off, the decomposition uses up all the oxygen in the water, suffocating everything in the area.
If you imagine this happening on a grand scale, across the oceans, rivers and lakes of our world, you can understand why marine ecosystems are in jeopardy. Our marine conservation project in Myanmar works hard to understand the deterioration of the local ecosystems and to try to rebuild them where possible, or at least to help raise awareness and educate local communities. This has been a great success so far, and it is an ongoing mission. We have a plan to share research data with the Myanmar government with the end goal of tightening up legislation to protect a greater marine area.
Upcoming projects will include helping to grow coral, planting artificial reefs, monitoring the progress of the artificial reefs, monitoring the degradation of other reefs and keeping an eye on the amount of coral and fish in the area. Local education programmes about sustainable fishing methods are also in the pipeline. This is an ongoing mission, and one that is of growing importance.
If you have a passion for the marine world and would like to get involved, please get in touch to let us know how you can help.
HOW TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SCUBA DIVER
THE ONLY SOUVENIRS YOU NEED ARE PICTURES
As a responsible scuba diver, it is your duty to leave nothing behind and to remove nothing from the dive site. Refrain from picking up a token shell, coral or anything else that might take your fancy when you dive. Even the smallest thing you remove can have an environmental impact. And the same goes for things you could leave behind. Pick up all your rubbish, ensure if you drop some kit you retrieve it and ensure the dive site was as it was when you leave. Dive Subculture strictly prohibits the collection of corals or other marine life on our trips.
DIVE LOCALLY
The location you choose to dive in will also have an impact. Travelling to locations around the world will add to your carbon footprint and will put a strain on the environment. Choose a local dive site to practise and qualify as one of the main causes of scuba diver damage to marine wildlife is diver inexperience. At Dive Subculture we are expanding our local range of dive sites – ask us for more information if you wish to dive ‘off the beaten track’ right here in Myanmar.
CHOOSE A REPUTABLE OPERATOR
If you decide to dive with Dive Sub-culture, you can rest assured on professionalism and quality. However, if you decide to dive with other centres, here or abroad, make sure to pick an operator that has a sustainability ethos. Enquire about their anchoring policies, as carelessly dropping an anchor can cause damage to coral reefs. Check if they are accredited by any environmental organisations, and ask them about their diver education practices. Find out if the centre owners/managers are correctly qualified with professional level dive certification and are experienced instructors. The more questions you ask and the further you push for responsible diving, the more likely the industry will change.
BE PICKY ABOUT GEAR
Did you know, that there isn’t an environmental certification needed for diving equipment? This means that it is fundamental that you, as scuba divers make the correct decisions when sourcing your kit. There are some options to choose battery-less equipment, opting for gear that can be charged by the sun or by movement. You could also opt for rechargeable batteries or if in doubt double check with the diving company to see which environmentally friendly equipment they would recommend. As much as possible, at Dive Sub-culture, we use the very best equipment, made by the very best SCUBA companies, and choose the most environmentally friendly options.
DO YOUR BIT WITH EVERY DIVE
You would be surprised at how much rubbish litter our oceans. A clever idea to combat this and to do your bit, even if very small is to pick up a piece of rubbish each time you dive. It can be as simple as a plastic bottle, to a beer can ring. Every time one diver brings back a piece of rubbish, that is one less item that could have a potentially dangerous impact on marine life and their environment. There is bin aboard the Dive Sub-culture dive boat where you can deposit any such waste for recycling.
WATCH YOUR FINS
Fins can damage the underwater sea bed and sensitive coral reefs. It’s important to practise swimming in your fins before embarking on a dive. You will do this as part of your DSD or Open Water course. Finding a good technique is vital to make sure you leave your dive location untouched.
IF YOU MUST HUNT, HUNT SMART
We don’t want to condone or endorse underwater spearfishing. This is something that is essential for some communities who rely on the underwater fish for their staple meal but hunting as a tourist for the thrill of it, isn’t environmentally friendly or responsible. We do not run spearfishing activities from our boat, nor any other unsustainable hunting.
However, if you are determined to give spearfishing a try elsewhere, follow the rules and regulations for the region you are hunting in. Do not spear young, endangered or pregnant fish. Know your seasons and follow all advice given from your dive instructor. If you are going to do this, do it smartly and leave as little an impact behind as possible. On board the Dive Sub-culture dive boat, we have fishing rods and reels available for sport fishing with lures, on a catch and release basis.