Divers remove more than 66 pounds of debris from Oneloa Bay in Kapalua

More than 66 pounds of debris, consisting of fishing gear and golf balls, was removed from Oneloa Bay in Kapalua last Saturday in a reef clean-up event organized by Lahaina-based dive operator, Dive with Harmony, and MOC Marine Institute. 

Fourteen divers collected a range of items during their 60-minute dive, including 1,445 feet of fishing line, 351 lead fishing weights, 46 golf balls, and multiple fishing hooks, lures, and other gear. 

“We are so excited to join forces with the MOC Marine Institute to bring the community together to work towards a cleaner and safer ocean for all animals, marine and humans alike,” said Harmony Colella, owner and founder of Dive with Harmony

Dive with Harmony provided tanks, weights, and dive gear for all divers who attended. 

“Every year, more than 85% of sea turtle stranding cases on Maui are due to interactions with fishing gear,” said MOC Marine Institute’s Executive Director, Tommy Cutt. “We are incredibly grateful for Dive with Harmony and all divers who participated in the cleanup on Saturday. We hope these efforts raise awareness and decrease harmful interactions between marine life and discarded fishing line.”

Dive with Harmony rubber coats the lead weight collected and repurposes them into dive weight. MOC Marine Institute sends the fishing line collected to Berkeley Conservation Institute for recycling. 

Dive with Harmony and MOC Marine Institute plan to host monthly public reef cleanups. Next month’s cleanup is scheduled for Earth Day, April 22, 2022.