Sharjah: Teams of scuba divers on Sunday joined a campaign to remove garbage from a large shipwreck off the coast of Sharjah that has become a marine habitat over the years.

The cargo vessel MV Dara exploded and sank in April 1961, a disaster that claimed the lives of 238 people.

Twenty divers from Sharjah Police and the Emirates Diving Centre travelled from Sharjah Aquarium to the scene of the wreck. There, they dived to retrieve more than 300kg of garbage, including old fishing nets.

The annual Beach Clean-Up was organised by Sharjah Museums Department.

Over the course of five-and-a-half years, the MV Dara wreck lying 20 metres below the surface has become a hub of marine life, as well as a popular dive site.

“The sinking of the MV Dara was a terrible tragedy at the time, and everyone at Sharjah Museums Department continues to pay our respects to those who lost loves ones,” said Manal Ataya, director-general of the Sharjah Museums Department. “Over the course of time, the wreck has spawned new life and has become a vital part of the marine ecosystem in our waters.”

The Sharjah Museums head thanked the people who volunteered their time for the cleanup, and praised the skill and dedication of the divers.

“Today, we wanted to honour the importance of volunteering and environmental responsibility as set out in the UAE Year of Giving by focusing our annual beach clean-up on preserving such an important site. It is a reminder that we must preserve our natural marine environment for future generations to enjoy,” she said.

Each year, museum department authorities choose a different location in need of waste removal.

This year, the team chose to focus on the MV Dara after conducting an earlier site visit and realising that the wreck was in urgent need of cleaning. They also wanted to highlight the story behind the wreck.

In the weeks running up to the initiative, Sharjah Aquarium conducted workshops for schools and families in which children were taught about recycling and the importance of preserving marine life.

“The message we want to send out from this event is that our marine environment part is part of our heritage and should be kept clean and in good health,” said Rashid Al Shamsi, Sharjah Aquarium’s curator.

“We also want fisherman to understand that while they are an important part of society, they must avoid discarding their old nets in open water.”

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