Are you curious to know more about The Vieux Port?
- mahouae875
- Oct 12, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 21, 2020
Today I will be focusing on Bizerta Scuba Diving and Cleanup the Vieux Port (old harbor/ port) & Cleanup Ichkeul. I will be presenting some solutions.
The Vieux Port (old harbor/ port)
The Vieux Port of Bizerte was built by the Phoenicians to link the lake of Lac de Bizerte to the Mediterranean Sea. It represents the heart of the old city surrounded by houses, restaurants, and cafes. It comes alive especially in summer at the end of the day when the terraces of restaurants and cafes occupy the quays. It is always filled with colorful fishing boats.
The harbor here has been a vital part of the economy of Bizerte for centuries. The Vieux Port was not only one of Bizerte's main ports but also of Tunisia.
The historical port is now only used by local fishermen bringing in their daily catch. However, the rapid degradation of its environment and mismanagement of the city’s infrastructure systems have resulted in a critical situation. The city has found itself in a challenging situation to make the water of the river clean. The issue aggravates during summer when kids are out of school and the tourists visit. It’s frequently up to volunteers to clean that litter up. The Vieux Port has been hurt by development and changes to land use over time and by cleaning up the harbor the club is also saving the cultural heritage of the city.
Likewise, Ichkeul National Park and Lake are visited yearly by the local traveler and international tourists. According to a new report from the World Wide Fund (WWF), travelers entering the Mediterranean Sea each summer cause a 40 percent surge in marine litter and 95 percent of its plastic. WWF is advising tourists to act to minimize their plastic footprint to protect the Mediterranean and its unique wildlife (“Tourists cause almost 40% spike in plastic entering the Mediterranean Sea each summer,” 2018).
The club found that hosting a lake/ port cleanup is a great way to not only improve the condition of both sites but as well to educate people about the issues. The project will also involve the education of society on the necessary measures in order to reduce the disposal of wastes in the lake and port. Volunteers are the most important element of the successful cleanup. Bizerta Scuba diving club committed to making a difference, scuba divers dive in the Vieux port to clean up the trash, to remove debris, and to report data on the types, quantities, and locations of materials collected
The objective is to:
1) Launch program to reduce plastic use
2) ensuring that the water in the port is safe for a human to swim
3) ensuring that the water in the lake is adequate for the animal and plants
4) Apply eco-principles from other countries
5) Reduce waste
6) Eliminate the bad smell in the port
7) Enhance the local involvement
8) Place the recycle bin near the main area at the lake and the port.
9) Encourage residents to separate their garbage
10) Encourage the help of teenagers and kids in recycling efforts
11) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
To think forward, whatever has happened now to the oceans needs to be cleaned by human beings. It can be done by the efforts of everyone. In this scenario, everyone needs to come together and make a mission and set up a goal to fix the situation. On the other hand, there should be strict rules of not throwing anything in the water anywhere in the world. This rule should be followed in the whole world. This should not be made an issue of a country. The rules should be strict that no one can put anything in the water, solid, liquid, or gas. Besides, there should be a ban on anything entered into the water through the air. This can be done by settling a conversation with the industrial plants that create a lot of air pollution.
The next blog will focus on the beauty of Bizerta :).
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