Wednesday 05 August 2015
In 2015 Beachwatch is returning under a new guise.
The Great Channel Islands Beach Clean will be taking place between the 18 and 21 September 2015 and forms part of a nationwide project conducted by the Marine Conservation Society to reduce litter on Britain's beaches. Last year, across the UK, more than 5,000 volunteers took part in the project and once again the MCS is calling for more volunteers to continue the great work carried out over the 21 years that the event has been running.
Not only does the scheme allow Guernsey's beaches to be given a thorough clean after the busy summer season, but the data collected about the types of litter which are left or washed up on our beaches is used to inform policy about reducing marine litter and pollution. In 2014, 865 items of litter were identified in the Channel Islands per kilometre, and whilst this represented a 19% increase from 2013, of the 8 regions surveyed this was the lowest per kilometre total.
When coupled with other efforts taken locally to reduce litter in coastal areas such as the fulfilment of the Shore Angler's Code of Conduct which sees angling clubs carry out regular clean ups at popular fishing marks, The Great Channel Islands Beach Clean should not only make these areas cleaner, but also safer. Items of litter such as glass, nails or fishing hooks can cause serious injury to humans and their pets when using the beach for recreation, and items such as carrier bags or fishing line can entangle marine wildlife, causing them to drown, suffocate, or starve.
Becoming a volunteer is easy and only requires spending an hour or two collecting and recording the litter on a 100 metre stretch of beach. You can either attend an organised event, with the opportunity to meet like-minded people or volunteer to tackle an area of beach yourself or with family or friends.
To sign up, visit www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch and register with beachwatch or if you are a returning volunteer simply login and select a stretch of coastline.
Contact Information:
Environmental Services Unit
Environment Department
Tel: 01481 717200
