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UK Microbead Ban By 2017?

Today George Eustice - the Environment Minister - responded stating that the Government would support an initial ban on cosmetics containing polluting plastic microbeads.

There is however a worry that the UK Government's ban may not be as robust as it should be.

Mr Eustice indicated to Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee that the ban could be widened in the future to include microbead use in other products, such washing powders.

SAA, BOA, BUSA, CMAS, Rosemary E Lunn, Roz Lunn, The Underwater Marketing Company, X-Ray Mag
BOA Chairman Ken Kirby SAA signs the new agreement with SAA Chairman Colin Bryan

SAA And BOA Join Forces

In the last 18 years, the SAA and the British Underwater Sports Association (BUSA) have been working together in partnership for the benefit of the sport. Recently changes in rules and expectations in CMAS have required a more formal recognition of this partnership.

In the UK the SAA represents CMAS - the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques.

Felix Butschek, OWUSS Rolex European Rolex Scholar, Rosemary E Lunn
Felix Butschek: 2016 / 2017 OWUSS Rolex European Scholar

European Rolex OWUSS 2016 / 2017 Scholar Announced

This year's European Rolex OWUSS 2016 / 2017 Scholar is most enthusiastic about temperate and polar marine environments. And it all started because his school was located in the spectacular coastal waters of British Columbia. Vancouver Island is a mecca for temperate water diving and one of the world's top dive destinations.

Drew Richardson, Richard Lutz, BTS, Beneath the Sea Awards, diving awards, Rosemary E Lunn, X-Ray Mag, Boot Dusseldorf, Bill Ziefle, Wendy Benchley, Wayne Hasson, Aggressor Fleet, Peter Hughes, Dancer Fleet, DAN, Divers Alert Network
Dr Drew Richardson (r) pictured with Fourth Element's Paul Strike (l) at the Boot Dusseldorf Dive Show

BTS Announces 2016 'Divers of the Year' Awards

This year the annual New Jersey scuba diving show celebrates a major milestone. It was founded in 1976, making this the 40th year BTS has recognised divers in the fields of the arts, education, environment, service and science.

2016 DIVER OF THE YEAR
Environment - Wendy Benchley
Diving Pioneer - Captain Wayne Hasson
Science - Dr Richard A. Lutz
Service - Dr Drew Richardson
Education - Bill Ziefle

Gozo coastlne

British diver charged with involuntary homicide by Maltese authorities

Brighton (UK) coroner, Veronica Hamilton-Deeley, concluded the deaths on June 17 last year were the result of diving accidents, after hearing from witnesses and medical experts. However, the Maltese authorities accuse Mr Martin, 55, of Rustington, West Sussex, of being 'negligent in his obligations'.

2015 NAUI Nominations Now Open

All nominations must be received by the Election Coordinator at NAUI HQ no later than 17:00 Eastern Standard Time on 17th August 2015.

This year NAUI is seeking individuals that have experience in the following areas:

Department Director Level at a university with extensive experience teaching NAUI Scuba programmes

Dive Industry leadership and participation as a member and representative at DEMA, RSTC and other dive industry organizations

Scuba diving pioneer Bob Soto dies age 88

Though there are nearly 50 operators on Grand Cayman now, Bob Soto was the first. He ran the business for 20 years before selling it to Ron Kipp who called it Ron Kipp’s Bob Soto’s Diving and spent the next 22 years expanding it further. Ron retired in 2003 and sold the business to Dan Tibbetts of Reef Divers who called the new company Bob Soto’s Reef Divers.

Soto created his own equipment and promotional diving videos to assist the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and diving clubs throughout the United States, as well as

Eugenie Clark
Eugenie Clark

Shark Lady "Eugenie Clark" has Died

Her pioneering work in marine conservation and shark behaviour helped to reveal that sharks were not the stupid and vicious animals they were reputed to be. Though she also did research on fish, her main focus was to improve the public image of sharks.

She began her research in the 1950s, and her fascination with the marine world inspired her to find ways of conducting research underwater. She was one of the first to do so while using SCUBA, and also made over seventy deep dives using a submersible, into the deep ocean.