Port de Roses seabed clean-up removes 280 kg of waste

The annual seabed clean-up at Port de Roses has brought 280 kg of waste up from the water, according to the town of Roses. The haul ranged from plastics and fishing gear to items rarely found on the sea floor, including a toilet and a set of chairs.

The operation is held every year. It is part of the port's environmental work and also aims to raise awareness about marine litter among port users and local residents.

Where the work took place

This year the clean-up focused on the harbour mouth, in the stretch of water between the counter-pier of the Port Esportiu (the marina) and the Moll de Pescadors, the fishermen's quay. That stretch sees regular traffic from both leisure boats and the local fishing fleet.

A second area was the rocky section of the sheltering breakwater. Rubbish carried towards the coast by the sea tends to collect among the rocks there, which makes it a regular spot for this kind of operation.

What came out of the water

Most of the waste was the kind regularly found in harbours. Divers and volunteers removed plastics, glass, tyres, ropes and fishing equipment.

Some larger or more unusual objects also turned up. Among them were fencing, chairs, a toilet and an awning. As in earlier editions of the clean-up, a large number of cans and glass bottles were also taken out of the water.

The organisers did not give a breakdown of the 280 kg by type of material.

Part of a wider environmental commitment

Port de Roses presents the clean-up as part of its commitment to protecting the marine environment and managing the port responsibly. It is one of a series of yearly actions to improve and preserve the natural surroundings.

Over the years, that work has earned the port several environmental certifications. These are Biosphere, a sustainable tourism label, the Blue Flag (Bandera Blava), an international eco-label for beaches and marinas, EMAS, the European Union's eco-management and audit scheme, and CETS, the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in protected areas.

Raising awareness

Removing waste is only one goal of the day. The port also wants to show boat owners, port users and the wider public why coastal areas need to stay free of litter, and to encourage a culture of respect for the sea.

Port de Roses thanked everyone who took part, together with Club Badia and the companies that collaborated on the day. It also stressed that caring for the marine environment is a shared responsibility of public administrations, professionals, users and visitors.

The clean-up comes as Roses remains busy on the water into the autumn, with the town also hosting the Interclubs Empordà regatta this season.

Our Take

For readers in Empuriabrava, where life revolves around canals, moorings and boats, the Roses clean-up is a useful reminder of what can end up under a busy harbour. The mix of items recovered suggests that the waste does not come from a single source. Ropes and fishing gear point to activity on the water, while chairs, fencing and an awning look more like items lost or dumped from land or from boats.

The presence of fishing equipment is also worth noting, given the importance of the fishing fleet in Roses and wider support for the sector, such as the aid channelled through GALP Costa Brava over the past decade.

Because the port says cans and bottles appear in every edition, it will be worth watching whether future clean-ups publish more detailed figures. A breakdown by material and comparisons with earlier years would show whether the awareness message is having a measurable effect. Other marinas on the Bay of Roses, including those along the Empuriabrava canals, could also take note of the model.