October 10, 2019 – A big volunteer action this weekend has removed a lot of trash from the Hvar sea – congrats to all involved.
A nice initiative and some great coordination and teamwork this weekend on the island of Hvar, as 30 volunteer divers from all over the world combined to clean the Hvar sea and nearby Palmizana of an incredible 7 tons of trash. Four tons were removed from the sea close to Hvar Town, and a further three tons from off the Pakleni Islands as part of a 2-day international environmental campaign called Blue Cleaning. The event, now in its third year, was organised by Aqualis / Viking Diving Centre, with the support and co-organisation of the Hvar Tourist Board and Hvar Town local authorities.
The team of experienced volunteer divers included citizens of Croatia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Czechia, Hungary, Greece and the United States – a truly international operation on the island which Conde Nast readers voted the best island in all Europe earlier this week. The focus of the clean up on Saturday was in the harbour of Hvar Town, moving to ACI Marina Palmizana on Sunday. Viking Diving provided two boats and equipment, and the Hvar Red Cross provided 15 volunteers, as well as lunch each day. Nautic Centre Hvar also coordinated the action with the Hvar Harbourmaster’s Office, and town authorities took care of the disposal of the recovered trash. A thank you dinner was provided by ACI Marina Palmizana, whose staff also took part in the cleanup operation, and volunteers also included two people from the public institution, More i Krs. Popular Hvar bars Aloha nad Nautika were on hand with warm refreshments for the hardworking volunteers.
A great initiative, and one which is being replicated in other parts of the island and elsewhere on the Croatian coast and island.
To learn more about environmental activities on the island, follow the efforts of local NGO, Eco Hvar.
