Trash collected from under water by the participants of the beach cleanup

Cups and bottles found under water that was retrieved by the participants of the Myette's Under Water trash cleanup

Myett’s Underwater Beach Cleanup was an initiative spearheaded by Myett’s Restaurant & Boutique in efforts to improve the underwater marine life. The event encouraged locals and tourists to get involved and play their part in protecting the marine based habitats, by removing debris from the waters of Cane Garden Bay. Fifty-four participants snorkeled and scuba dived along the beach and collected trash that they found, which included plastic bags, bottles, tires, boat parts and t-shirts. During the daylong event, Myett’s restaurant provided the participants with food, entertainment and information on environmental preservation.

“The event was a big success; all the participants were excited to take part in this environmental activity. We collected tons of trash but there is still a lot more in other areas to be collected, so we encourage everyone to come out to our next underwater cleanup and show their support in protecting these beautiful seas,” said Don Schoendrug, organiser of Myett’s Underwater Beach Cleanup. “This event was a pilot event and based on the success, we have decided to extend this initiative to the other beaches in the BVI in hopes of affecting change throughout the Territory.”

The impacts of marine debris are far-reaching, with serious consequences for marine habitats, biodiversity, human health and the economy. This event gives everyone the opportunity to help limit the effect of pollution in our beaches, while helping to sustain and protect our beautiful British Virgin Islands. The goal of this event is to improve our underwater marine life and to build awareness to boaters, swimmers, fishermen and the public on the importance of responsible disposal of their trash.

During the underwater beach cleanup, participants were also asked to keep an eye out for lionfish and leave markers in the area where they were spotted so that the Reef Guardian team could capture them. In recent years, the lionfish have invaded the BVI waters and have been eating all the fishes and crustaceans, which damage the fishing industry and the marine parks. Lionfish have poisonous spines and are an invasive species. The lionfish continue to multiple at an alarming rate because there are no predators in the BVI waters that threaten their existence, this is why the Reef Guardians are trying to remove as much of these fishes from the BVI waters as they can.

Participating organisations in this event included, Sail Caribbean Divers, Dive Zero TB, Jost Van Dyke Scuba, UBS Dive Center, Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society and the Reef Guardians. Proceeds of the beach cleanup will go to the non-profit organisation Project Aware. Myett’s Restaurant & Boutique will be hosting another underwater beach cleanup in Cooper Island to be held in October of this year.

The BVI Tourist Board continues to support Myett’s in their initiative to keep our waters clean and encourages everyone to be more mindful of their trash disposal. The ocean and how it is used plays a big role in the Territories transition in becoming a more sustainable destination, and for this reason everyone must play their part to keep the environment clean and beautiful.