The “Let’s Cleanup Europe” campaign kicks off

The campaign,   coordinated   in   Greece   for   the   6th  consecutive   year   by   the   Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association - HELMEPA, between 3 May and 3 June 2019, aims to raise awareness on the serious problem of plastic and other types of litter polluting seas, coasts, rivers, forests and the natural environment in general.

According   to  cleanup   registrations   so   far,  3,000 volunteers from  HELMEPAMember companies, Embassies, Local and Port Authorities, schools of all levelsand local associations have planned 51 cleanups of beaches, the seabed and land reas  in Alexandroupolis, Astypalea, Athens, Bali and  Plakias in Rethymnon,Chios, Efkarpia in Thessaloniki, Giannitsa, Giannitsochori of Ilia, Gythio, Ierapetra,Korissos of Kastoria, Larissa, Lemnos, Leros, Naxos, Nea Michaniona, Neapoli and Skala in Lakonia, Neos Marmaras  in   Chalkidiki,   Nestos, Orestiada, Oropos, Perama, Pilio, Rafina, Stavroupoli, Volos, Vonitsa and Zakynthos.

Meanwhile, on May 6,   HELMEPA coordinated an innovative   cleanup   of   thearchaeological site of Heraion in Perachora, combined with underwater cleanup ofVouliagmeni Lake, in collaboration with the “Nireas” Association for the Protectionof Natural and Cultural Environment of the Korinthiakos and Patraikos Gulf, theLoutraki Dive Club, along with the participation of HELMEPA Cadets students ofthe 2nd  General Lyceum of Corinth.

The initiative had a highly educational nature as, apart from the tour of the archaeological site, the students had the opportunity to visit the ship "Angel of the Seas" at the port of Corinth and to be informed by researcher Mr. N. Vogiatzakis about the specific characteristics of the dolphins of the Corinthian Gulf, as well as the risks they face from overfishing and increasingplastic pollution. Additionally, they visited an Exhibition in Loutraki recently created by the Loutraki Dive Club, which contains the findings from the numerous underwater cleanup activities carried out by the Club in the wider region.