Maltese Kayaker Takes Matters Into His Own Hands And Carries Out Awesome Solo Cleanup
A Maltese man took his kayak to Ġnejna for an early paddle one Sunday morning, but he ended up coming back with a heap of rubbish and plastic. Pulling into Fomm ir-Riħ and seeing the state of the bay, he told Lovin Malta he had a sudden change of heart and put his own plans on hold.
“I couldn’t leave it like that, so I packed as much as I could into my kayak,” the man, Steve Muscat Azzopardi, said. “I even emptied my dry bag, which keeps my phone, wallet and keys safe and dry, to be able to take more rubbish with me. I didn’t even end up swimming as I ran out of time, but doing this felt way better!”
“I slowly paddled back to Ġnejna and disposed of all the rubbish, taking all the plastic for recycling,” Steve continued. “And yes, I did get a few strange looks!”
Sadly, the state he found Fomm ir-Riħ in was disgusting, and Steve sent Lovin Malta more photos of what the bay looked like when he paddled in. One photo even shows an entire plastic sunbed just lying there on the rocky beach.
Along with so many locals and tourists, Steve loves visiting Fomm ir-Riħ, both by kayak and by bike. He’s taken loads of photos showing just how beautiful the bay and its surrounding area can be if it’s properly kept.
Steve’s mini solo cleanup is the latest in a growing pattern of green initiatives around the island by individuals and groups alike, but the increasing frequency with which miniature dumps like this are being found all over Malta’s countryside is very worrying.