“Operation Clean Beach” will remove debris and abandoned fishing gear along Silves and Albufeira beaches on May 19.

Zoomarine has announced the 2024 edition of its “Operação Praia Limpa” (Operation Clean Beach). The event, happening on May 19 along the beaches of Armação de Pêra (Silves) and Salgados (Albufeira), will concentrate on underwater cleaning to eliminate debris and discarded fishing equipment that endangers different habitats and marine species.

The organisation invites everyone interested to join and support the initiative by taking part in coastal beach cleaning. “By engaging the general public, the initiative aims to clean up the beach and the sea while raising awareness among participants and the Algarve population about combating pollution and preserving the oceans”, it says.

Thus, “Operação Praia Limpa” is divided into two primary operations: underwater and beach cleaning. For this task, three boats and around 15 divers and marine biologists will be working to collect abandoned fishing equipment and man-made waste.

With the help of DiveSpot and BioReefAP, this phenomenal underwater cleanup project will be carried out at different locations along the coast and the top of the Algarve’s natural reef, covering nearly 7 miles.

Hugo Brites, Marketing and Communications Director at Zoomarine Algarve, says, “We work daily to preserve species and ecosystems. That’s why we remain dedicated to this initiative and encourage everyone to join us. By clearing debris that directly harms marine species and habitats, our goal is to raise community awareness about environmental and ocean protection, demonstrating the direct influence of human actions.

Inspired by the “Together We Protect” philosophy, “Operação Praia Limpa” was established in 2017 to educate the population on preserving the coastline. In eight years, Operação Praia Limpa has already contributed to removing more than eight tons of marine litter from Algarve beaches. This year, the goal is to reach a minimum of 10 tons.

To help clean the beach, Zoomarine invites all residents and tourists in the Algarve to participate by signing up on the event’s official page.

Partners

• Silves City Council;
• Albufeira City Council;
• ALGAR – Recovery and Treatment of Solid Waste;
• APAL – Albufeira Promotion Agency;
• BioReefAP;
• CCDR – Europe Direct Algarve;
• DiveSpot;
• Algarvensis Geopark;
• ICNF – Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation;
• IPDJ – Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth;
• UAlg V+.