AQABA, JORDAN // With its crystal clear warm waters and easy access to the beach, Aqaba's tiny share of the Red Sea is a magnet for divers.
They can see corals wrapping a cargo ship sunk there to create an artificial reef. Butterfly fish, sea horses and turtles abound. Tiny shrimps and pipefish can be found hiding in sea grass beds.
But marine life in Jordan's only outlet to the sea is under threat from beachgoers who blatantly ignore litter laws.
"Unfortunately, we have a problem with litter particularly after the Eids and holidays," said Abdullah Momani, head of the Aqaba Diving Association. "There are soda cans, white plastic cups and plastic bags and at times you can even see diapers under the water. When I lead a group dive and see trash, I change the group's direction to prevent them from seeing it."
Mr Momani, a 31-year-old former marine biologist, has been involved in dozens of voluntary sea clean-up campaigns and remains deeply concerned about marine life here.
"When you clean a dive site and return a month later, the rubbish is back. It is killing the corals. Plastic bags cover them and block off sunlight. There are species that grow by one centimetre a year. Turtles have also been decreasing."
There are about 200 kinds of hard corals, and a wide array of soft corals and 500 species of fish along Aqaba, according to the Royal Marine Conversation Society of Jordan (JREDS), an NGO established in 1995 and dedicated to preserving and protecting the marine ecosystem. Aqaba, which is 320 kilometres south of Amman, has a shoreline that is only 27km long.
Faisal Abu Sondos, project manager at JREDS, said 80 per cent of the sea litter results from the beach.
"Most of the litter is plastic. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and they choke on them," he said. "Litter is a phenomenon in Aqaba. In one sea clean-up campaign, we have collected two tonnes of litter, which is alarming. In another campaign last year, we have collected 28 tyres from one diving site."
In 1997, the government created The Aqaba Marine Park along the coastline in an area that enjoys high diversity in marine life. Thousands of visitors flock to the park each year to enjoy the public beach.
The park provides access to Aqaba's 21 diving sites. It is divided into different zones, from camping spots, to swimming, boating and scuba-diving areas. Each user is supposed to follow a list of instructions. Boats, for example, are not allowed to use anchors, but only mooring buoys to protect the corals.
In Jordan there are laws that ban motorists from littering. Violators are fined 20 dinars (Dh103.6). Also, if a captain of a ship is caught polluting the sea, he could be fined up to 10,000 dinars, sentenced to three year prison or both. But laws do not specify penalties for those littering on the beach.
"People continue to litter. It is against the law. But it is up to the judge to decide the penalty," said Hamza Muheisen, the park's public relations director. "The problem is that the law is not enforced. We need the help of the environment police. Awareness is not enough. It has to go hand in hand with law enforcement."
The JREDS, the marine park and the Aqaba Diving Association have been involved in clean-up campaign of Aqaba's diving sites. Efforts are underway to increase them from once a month to once a week. But Mr Abu Sondos is not optimistic.
"This doesn't mean we are happy with the situation. The clean-up campaigns will not necessarily curb the litter. What is needed is an advocacy campaign and to introduce penalties that ban litter. We have asked authorities repeatedly to penalise those who litter. But they have not heeded to our calls. We have been told it is not a priority. The problem is that there is no political will."
Meanwhile, Aqaba's divers are keen to keep the sea clean.
"Aqaba is unique. Its water is warm all year long, and you do not need a boat to reach the diving sites, which is great for beginners," said Mr Momani. "There are no oil spills and hardly any waste from cargo ships. We want divers to enjoy the beauty of the sea."
smaayeh@thenational.ae
