VIDEO: Croatian freediving world champion talks about microplastics problem in Adriatic Sea

Goran Čolak

Split, Croatia (10 June 2019) – The Green Sail organization from Croatia filmed a video on the island of Brač in cooperation with Goran Čolak, a multiple freediving world champion and world record holder, and supported by the local Draulik Dive Center, discussing the problem of microplastics in the Adriatic Sea.

Goran Čolak is the most successful Croatian free-diver and one of the most successful free-divers in the history of diving in the world, who broke more than 30 national records in both Free Diving associations, AIDA and CMAS. Čolak is currently AIDA’s most successful male athlete from AIDA World Championships with six gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

The objective of the video is to remind the local population and tourists on the importance of proper waste separation. Moreover, the video aims to familiarize the local population with the problem of microplastics, and overly-consumed and harmful plastic as one of the most critical problems of our time.

Goran Čolak

Plastic that ends up in the sea from a variety of sources, mostly due to human negligence, never actually disintegrates and dissolves into small particles. These small harmful particles (less than five millimetres in length) that end up in our environment, are called microplastics. Microplastics are entering every aspect of our natural ecosystems from a variety of sources including cosmetics, clothing and industrial processes. Thanks to these harmful microplastics, the risk of polluted nature, water and food is increasing, and at an alarming rate.

Goran Čolak

Microplastics have the ability to absorb toxic compounds from the environment and release parts of their plastic structure during the degradation process. Under the influence of the sun, the sea and the waves, microplastics eventually enter all parts of the environment. Moreover, toxic microplastics eventually enter the food chain and are consumed by humans.

Goran Čolak

With his participation in the video, Goran Čolak wanted not only to draw attention to this problem, but also significantly highlight the essential personal accountability in waste management practices. It is imperative that the community starts to reduce the unnecessary use of plastic in everyday life and recycle properly to ensure the plastic problem doesn’t grow any larger. By making conscious decisions and changing our habits, we can all play a huge role in the environment preservation.

ABOUT
Green Sail is an organization founded by British company Sail Croatia Adventures Ltd, that supports actions that lead to the development of sustainable tourism in Croatia and promotes environmentally responsible practices in relation to the recreational use of the Adriatic Sea. At the moment, the Green Sail initiative brings together over 60 charter companies and more than 1,200 sailing boats promoting environmentally-conscious practices to their guests during sailing holiday or stay in the marina.

For more information on Green Sail and its work, visit https://www.green-sail.com .