NGO Zibel will continue to manage all sea-based operations from the Manoel Island Marina, following an extension of a collaboration agreement with MIDI plc. Thanks to this collaboration Zibel will be berthing their boats, ‘Zibla’ and ‘Ziblu’ at the Manoel Island Marina, which will continue to serve as their operations hub for the summer months.
MIDI plc spokesman said that "we are pleased to collaborate with Zibel in their endeavor to keep our reefs, beaches and coastal areas clean from waste. We encourage volunteers to support this NGO during their clean-ups and other environmentally friendly initiatives."
Whilst thanking MIDI plc for their support, Andrew Schembri, Co-founder and Chairman of Zibel said that, "Berthing is a substantial cost for ‘Zibel’, but thanks to our collaboration with MIDI we have called the Manoel Island Marina our home for the past three years, starting off with ‘Zibla’ three years ago and adding another berth for ‘Ziblu’ last year. Having a marine base from which to conduct our work opens our collection efforts to be in effect all year round which of course is vital for organizations like ours. We are well into our long term plan and we’re thrilled to have MIDI onboard with our vision."
Mr Schembri added that "this year we have another busy schedule ahead. We are currently conducting scouting and surveying operations to identify areas which need our intervention during the summer months. This ranges from Malta’s reefs to remote sections of the island’s coastline. Later in the year we will also be conducting micro-plastic research, where we will be putting both our boats into good use. Of course, our monthly clean-ups are on-going and we urge the public to join any one of the clean-ups we host."
Since it was set up in 2017, Zibel is doing its utmost through its volunteers to bring about a positive change by promoting sustainable development, education, a cleaner environment and civic pride. Zibel has collected over 135 tonnes of waste from the Maltese environment and removed over 85 ghost nets from our local reefs.