Nearly two tonnes of submerged rubbish, including dozens of vehicle wheels, were removed from the seabed of Kato Paphos harbour on Sunday morning in a large-scale community cleanup organised by the Cyprus Ports Authority.
In just the first hour of the two-hour operation, between 9am and 11am, divers recovered an estimated 1.8 tonnes of debris from the harbour floor, according to the environmental NGO AKTI project and research centre.
The haul included 32 car wheels, eight motorcycle wheels and four truck wheels, a disappointing sight, according to AKTI spokesperson Anna Tselepou.
The initiative brought together 18 professional divers with representatives from the Paphos municipality, environment and fisheries departments, the Paphos fishermen association, AKTI, the American University, Atlas Academy, volunteers, students and local residents.
The campaign, now running for the second consecutive year, aimed to remove litter and hazardous objects from the port’s seabed. It also sought to protect the marine ecosystem and local biodiversity and raise public awareness, especially among youth, about marine pollution.
Collected waste was documented for scientific analysis, a task carried out by AKTI.
Environment officer at the Cyprus Ports Authority Katerina Dokou emphasised that the authority remains committed to maintaining clean, safe and sustainable ports.
