Fishing will be prohibited for a while Friday from Les Davis Pier as scuba divers will clean up the waters surrounding the pier.

About 20 volunteers are expected to spend six hours removing everything from broken fishing line to trash. For the safety of the volunteer crew, no fishing will be allowed from the pier between 3-9 p.m. while the clean up is underway.

“We often see people throwing cans, bottles and other garbage into the bay when we’re diving,” said event organizer Amy Rhodes. “As one of the few reefs in the area created specifically for divers, this place is becoming a Tacoma icon. We’re excited to start removing the garbage littering this special habitat.”

According to Rhodes the number of shore divers accessing this area has grown significantly following construction of the nearby dive steps, a project spearheaded by Metro Parks Tacoma’s Marine Advisory Council members a little over a year ago.

“The area is really accessible for divers of all abilities now,” Rhodes commented, “so we’ll have divers with a range of experience who participate in this clean up.”

The clean up event is an official event of Project Aware, an international foundation dedicated to conservation of underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Metro Parks’ staff will support the effort through CHIP In! (Citizens Helping Improve Parks) by providing trash receptacles and bags, and hauling away the debris that is collected.