MCS declares war on ocean plastic plague 

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) annual Beachwatch litter survey and clean-up takes place over the weekend of 15th-16th September 2007. Over 4,000 volunteers are expected to take part at 364 beaches in the UK’s biggest survey of its kind. The findings of Beachwatch 2007 will be instrumental in the continuing MCS campaign against plastic litter.

Of all the hazardous materials littering our seas today, plastic poses the greatest threat - it causes death and injury to hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine species every year through ingestion (swallowing) and entanglement. Items of particular danger to marine wildlife include plastic bags, drink can yokes and fishing nets.

Over the past 14 years, plastic litter has consistently accounted for well over 50% of all litter found on beaches during MCS Beachwatch surveys, and the United Nations Environment Programme recently estimated that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter per square mile of the world’s oceans!

Emma Snowden MCS Litter Projects Officer said, “It’s not too late to take part, and we need the public’s help to survey more beaches to tackle the relentless tide of litter threatening our beaches and wildlife! This is your chance to get involved with the biggest litter clean-up and survey of beaches all around the UK.” Emma continued, “The information collected will help MCS tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife”. 

Over 4,200 volunteers took part during last year’s MCS Beachwatch 2006 weekend, cleaning and surveying over 350 beaches and collecting over 3,000 bags of litter - a clear sign that beach litter is a major issue and is important to the UK public. The survey recorded an average of 1,989 items per kilometre on UK beaches, which equates to nearly two items for every metre stretch of beach!

Adopt-a-Beach and Beachwatch are supported by The Crown Estate. Dr Carolyn Heeps, Head of Policy and Sustainable Development for the Marine Estate added: “We continue to support Beachwatch because it demonstrates that just a few hours of volunteer action, over one weekend, can make a real difference to our understanding of the threats to marine wildlife from litter"

Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Marine Conservation Society’s Adopt-a-Beach project. The results from Beachwatch are published each spring and used by MCS to campaign against the sources of beach litter at local, national and international levels. The data collected by Beachwatch volunteers contributes to a worldwide project, the International Coastal Clean-up, which takes place in over 80 countries worldwide. MCS is urging the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution to proceed with the proposed investigation into the effects of plastic on the marine environment. The Marine Conservation Society also works with the Project AWARE Foundation (International) to organise underwater clean-up events.

To see a list of beaches taking part in Beachwatch 2007 log onto www.adoptabeach.org.uk  and click on the “Beachwatch” button (left hand side of page). To register as an organiser or a volunteer, register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk  or call the MCS litter team on 01989 567807.

MCS staff will be organising their own beach cleans at:

Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland – Saturday 15th September, 10am, meet at the start of Cramond Causeway, contact Calum Duncan for more details: scotland@mcsuk.org - 0131 226 6360

Sand Bay, Somerset, England – Sunday 16th September, 11am, meet at Car park off Sand Road              contact Sue Kinsey for more details: sue.kinsey@mcsuk.org - 01989 561586

Langland Bay, Swansea, Wales – Saturday 15th September, 10am, meet at the car park, Langland,                           contact: Gill Bell for more details: 01989 567807

ENDS

Beachwatch 2007 Press Contacts:
Beachwatch contact number for the public – Tel: 01989 567807 For further information and interviews:

Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Coordinator – Tel: 01989 567807/ 07793 118388

Sue Kinsey, MCS Adopt-a-Beach Officer – Tel: 01989 567807

Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager – Tel: 01989 561585 / 07793 118384

General Marine Conservation Society switchboard – Tel: 01989 566017

E-mail: beachwatch@mcsuk.org

Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk

Editors Notes:

Plastic can be mistaken for food and consumed by a wide range of marine species. Ingestion of litter such as plastic bags can cause physical damage and mechanical blockage of the oesophagus and digestive system, resulting in a false sensation of fullness or satiation, as the litter may remain in the stomach. This can lead to internal infections, starvation and death (Laist, 1997). Research into the stomach contents of dead fulmars from the Netherlands, between 1982 and 2001 found that 96% of the birds had plastic fragments in their stomachs with an average of 23 plastic pieces per bird (Van Franeker and Meijboom, 2003).

Entanglement can restrict movement, leading to starvation, drowning or suffocation. Once the entangled animal dies, their bodies decompose and the plastic item that caused their entanglement can trap other animals. Certain seabirds collect marine litter such as pieces of plastic for nest building, which could result in both adults and chicks becoming entangled. A study in 1991 found 97% of all gannet nests sampled in Newfoundland had plastics incorporated in them (Montevecchi, 1991).

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife.  MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, protection of marine life and their habitats, and the sensitive use of our marine resources for future generations.  Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS provides information and guidance on many aspects of marine conservation and produces the annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk), the Good Fish Guide and www.fishonline.org on sustainable seafood, as well as promoting public participation in volunteer projects and surveys such as Beachwatch, Adopt-a-Beach and Basking Shark Watch. www.mcsuk.org

MCS is campaigning for the Government to introduce a Marine Bill in the next Parliamentary session. A Marine Bill is urgently needed to provide better protection for marine species and habitats and establish a planning system for the sustainable management of the marine environment.  For further information see www.mcsuk.org or contact MCS. MCS Scotland is running a parallel campaign for a Scottish Marine Bill. Contact Calum Duncan, MCS Scottish Officer on 0131 226 6360

Beachwatch is an annual UK-wide beach litter survey and clean-up, organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) since 1993.  Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Adopt-a-Beach project, which encourages local volunteers to survey marine litter every quarter.  Volunteers remove all the litter from a measured area of their local beach, recording every item that they find.  The data gathered from Beachwatch every September is published by MCS in the Beachwatch Report.  This information is used at a national level to raise awareness of the impacts of litter, to promote measures to reduce litter at source and to campaign for aquatic litter legislation. 

Beachwatch 2006 summary results (NB: Statistics from September 2006 Beachwatch survey)  can be found, in table form, in the attached press release.

The Beachwatch 2006 Summary Report is available from MCS.  The Full Report can be downloaded at www.mcsuk.org and www.adoptabeach.org

Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Marine Conservation Society’s Adopt-a-Beach project, which encourages local volunteers to adopt their favourite stretch of beach and take part in quarterly marine litter surveys and clean-ups.  For further information please visit www.adoptabeach.org

The Crown Estate has supported the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch campaign through its Marine Stewardship Fund since 1999.  As owner of over half the UK’s foreshore and almost all the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit The Crown Estate places great emphasis on the good management and stewardship of the diverse coastal land in its care.  The Crown Estate works with many organisations throughout the UK including government departments, public bodies, environmental groups, industry and local communities to ensure appropriate development and conservation of the coastline. Beachwatch is an excellent example of The Crown Estate and the Marine Conservation Society working together for the seventh consecutive year to raise public awareness of marine pollution and encouraging participation at a local level. For more information about The Crown Estate visit www.thecrownestate.co.uk or contact: Katie King, Communications Dept, The Crown Estate: 020 7851 5009 katie.king@thecrownestate.co.uk

The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), co-ordinated by the Ocean Conservancy in the USA, involves over 80 countries worldwide in an annual litter survey and clean-up.  The ICC provides a ‘snapshot’ of the amounts and sources of litter found on beaches around the world.  Further information is available at www.coastalcleanup.org.

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent standing body established in 1970 to advise the Queen, the Government, Parliament and the public on environmental issues - www.rcep.org.uk

United Nations Environment Programme collaborates with a wide range of partners throughout the UN system and beyond to provide information on the state of the planet’s natural resources and their contribution to sustainable development. www.unep.org