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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

MA'ALAEA
Fishing trash cleared off reef by volunteer divers

An underwater cleanup sponsored by five Maui businesses retrieved more than 3 miles of tangled fishing line and 600 pounds of lead weights, ulua hooks and stainless-steel leaders from the reef below two popular fishing spots between the McGregor Point scenic lookout and the pali tunnel.

Forty-two scuba divers and snorkelers volunteered for the May 10-11 event, which celebrated Earth Day and the International Year of the Reef. Each team committed to two 50-minute dives. Armed with wire cutters and burlap bags, the divers combed an area of approximately 200 square feet, collecting everything from glass bottles and discarded cell phones to fishing gear. Full bags were sent up to snorkelers waiting on the surface, emptied into bins on a boat and returned to the divers.

Maui Dive Shop, Maui Diamond II, Maui Dreams Dive Company, and Octopus Reef collaborated on the effort, while Maui Sporting Goods took what was collected and recycled it. All of the dive companies are members of the Maui Reef Fund, a nonprofit that has been coordinating the cleanups since 2005.