Call to join the MCS army of volunteers turning the tide on litter!

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) annual beach litter survey and clean-up takes place over the weekend of 20th – 21st September 2008, on beaches all over the UK. MCS is calling for volunteers to help wildlife by spending a couple of hours at a local MCS Beachwatch event to tackle the problem of beach litter, and to help make that weekend’s event the biggest ever.

The tide of litter is not just an unsightly blight on Britain’s magnificent coastline. Over 170 species of marine wildlife including seabirds, turtles and whales have been recorded mistaking marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages. In addition, plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets injure, entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine wildlife, including seals and dolphins.

Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Co-ordinator says, ”This is YOUR chance to get involved with the biggest litter clean-up and survey on beaches all around the UK. The data YOU collect will help MCS tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife”.

Thousands of volunteers participate in MCS Beachwatch every year, ensuring that the event continues to be the biggest and most influential project in the fight against beach litter pollution in the UK. MCS Beachwatch provides a simple and effective way in which everyone can help tackle the relentless tide of rubbish on our beaches and at sea.

MCS surveys have recorded a 96.5% increase in the amount of beach litter compared to 1994, with major sources being public litter, fishing litter, sanitary waste (particularly cotton bud sticks) and shipping litter.

Just under 4,000 volunteers took part during last year’s MCS Beachwatch 2007 weekend, cleaning and surveying over 350 beaches and collecting over 2,700 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 2,054 items of litter per kilometre on UK beaches, which equates to two items for every metre stretch of beach surveyed.
 
MCS Beachwatch results are essential in turning the tide on litter. The results of recent surveys have helped MCS influence changes to laws on disposing of wastes at sea, and resulted in investment in better sewage treatment at the coast.

The data collected by MCS Beachwatch volunteers also contributes to a worldwide project, the International Coastal Clean-up, which takes place in over 70 countries worldwide. The Marine Conservation Society also works with the Project AWARE Foundation (International) to organise underwater clean-up events.

MCS Adopt-a-Beach and MCS Beachwatch are supported by The Crown Estate. Fiona Wynne, Stewardship and Environmental Coordinator at the Crown Estate says, “Taking part in Beachwatch is a great way to show you and your friends care about the marine environment. We would like to see many more volunteers joining in this year to make it an even greater success so please make sure you contact MCS to find out which beaches need your help”.

Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk or telephone the MCS litter team on 01989 567807.

ENDS

Beachwatch 2008 Contacts:
Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Coordinator – Tel: 01989 567807/ 07793 118388 Sue Kinsey, MCS Adopt-a-Beach Officer – Tel: 01989 567807 Beachwatch contact number for the public – Tel: 01989 567807 Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager – Tel: 01989 561585 / 07816 217669 General Marine Conservation Society switchboard – Tel: 01989 566017
E-mail: beachwatch@mcsuk.org
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
Websites: www.mcsuk.org

Editors Notes:

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection of marine life. 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 MCS Beachwatch, Adopt-a-Beach and Basking Shark Watch.www.mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is celebrating 25 years of protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife this year. MCS will be running a series of events and initiatives in 2008 to highlight the need for better protection of our seas, celebrate the wildlife they support and give opportunities for people to take an active part - on land or at sea. Log onto http://www.mcsuk.org/jubilee/upload.php

MCS Beachwatch is an annual UK-wide beach litter survey and clean up, organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) since 1993. MCS 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 MCS 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. The fifteenth MCS Beachwatch litter survey and beach clean took place on the 15th and 16th September 2007.