Supporting a collaborative approach to tackling marine litter

During Recycle Week (20-26 September) we are revisiting support the Scottish Government has provided to businesses and projects to enhance the protection, value and enjoyment of our marine environment.

One recent example is around £40k of funding through Marine Fund Scotland to the Solway Marine Litter Project, which aims to work towards 200 miles of cleaner coast in Dumfries and Galloway.

This award will allow Solway Firth Partnership to coordinate community cleans through the Machars and Cree Valley Climate Action Network (MAC-CAN), hire skips, purchase equipment, and collect information about marine litter.

Clair McFarlan, Partnership Manager at Solway Firth Partnership, said:

“This funding from Scottish Government will help us take a collaborative approach to marine litter recording and removal, working with the local community, fishermen and harbour masters towards our vision of a sea full of life, where nature flourishes and people thrive.

“The project will focus on targeting marine litter ‘hot spots’ on the Machars Coast, identified through aerial surveys undertaken as part of a previous project: Scrapbook.

“We will also focus on identifying lost creels – baskets used for carrying fish – and other large items, and return them for reuse or recycling.”

This work contributes to the Marine Litter Strategy (MLS) and its focus on litter removal.

The partnership approach will enhance the reputation of the local fishing industry in relation to marine litter; provide local people with access to litter picking data and resources as well as empower them to make a positive contribution to the marine environment; result in a cleaner coast for locals and visitors; and improve understanding of marine litter.

The Marine Scotland directorate for the Scottish Government monitors plastic beach litter as part of the marine litter research programme to better understand our marine littler problem and how best to tackle it.

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