Fishermen sign up to clear seas of flotsam
January 19 2010
Special bins have been installed at the ports of Rothesay and Campbeltown for fisherman to deposit any waste floaters they accidentally scoop up when trawling the seas.
Oceanic rubbish is a growing problem for marine life and beach goers with an estimated 20,000 tonnes of unwanted junk deposited in the North Sea annually.
The majority of this jetsam sinks straight to the sea bed but around 15% of it remains bobbing on the waves whilst a further 15% finds itself all washed up on our shores.
Though only two boats have thus far signed up, a drop in the ocean, it’s hoped others will swiftly join them as fishermen come to terms with more and more unwelcome detritus contaminating catches, breaking winching gear and fouling propellers.
1 Comment
#1 Posted by phil sheardown on 20 Jan 2010 at 09:07 AM
A drop in the ocean true, but a vital initiative. We have made a similar bienniel beginning using Voyager canoes to gather litter ashore on the Dart estuary in South Devon - the District Council receives the bagged catch. To involve sea fishermen is a stroke of genius.
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