Beachwatch 2009

MCS BEACHWATCH BIG WEEKEND 2009
Call to join the army of volunteers turning the tide on litter in Scotland!


The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) urgently needs volunteers to take part in the UK’s biggest beach litter survey and cleanup taking place over the weekend of 19th – 20th September 2009. MCS needs your help to tackle the problems of beach litter and to help make our Beachwatch Big Weekend event the biggest ever!

The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at, it can harm and kill some of our best-loved marine wildlife. Over 170 species of marine wildlife including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages. Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets also injure, entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine animals, including seals and dolphins.

Anne Saunders, MCS Scottish Projects Officer says, “If you care about our amazing marine wildlife and are concerned about the growing tide of litter in the UK, this is your chance to make a difference. The information you collect will help us to tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife.”

Our surveys have recorded a 110% increase in the amount of beach litter compared to 1994. The four main sources of litter found on UK beaches come from the public, fishing, sanitary waste (particularly cotton bud sticks) and shipping.

Over 5,000 volunteers took part in Beachwatch 2008, cleaning and surveying over 370 beaches and collecting over 385,000 pieces of litter on just one weekend. Our survey recorded an average of 2,195 items of litter per kilometre on UK beaches, that’s over two items for every metre of beach surveyed!

In Scotland, 52 beaches were cleaned by 860 volunteers, who surveyed 21.32 km of beach and collected a total of 55,041 pieces of litter. Scottish beaches had the highest density of both public litter and sewage-related debris of any country in the UK.
Thousands of volunteers take part in Beachwatch Big Weekend every year, ensuring that the event continues to be the biggest and most influential project in the fight against beach litter in the UK. Our Beachwatch Big Weekend provides a simple and effective way in which everyone can help tackle the relentless tide of rubbish on our beaches and at sea.

MCS Beachwatch results are vital in turning the tide on litter. They have helped us influence changes to laws on disposing of waste at sea, and resulted in investment in better sewage treatment at the coast. We are now calling for UK governments to develop an action plan to tackle marine litter, if you feel strongly about this issue please sign our petition at HYPERLINK "http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk" www.adoptabeach.org.uk

The data collected by MCS Beachwatch volunteers also contributes to a worldwide project, the International Coastal Cleanup, which takes place in over 80 countries worldwide.
MCS is extremely grateful to SeaFrance for funding the Beachwatch campaign.
Robin Wilkins, MD of SeaFrance says, “Along with members of SeaFrance staff and local volunteers, I have been involved in regular beach cleans and surveys at Kingsdown. It’s been shocking to see the levels of litter on the beach. The easy option is to just leave your litter behind rather than take it home with you, but the litter left behind impacts our coastline for generations. SeaFrance is absolutely committed through its support as lead sponsor of MCS Beachwatch to help combat this problem.”
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk or telephone the litter team on 01989 567807.
ENDS
Beachwatch 2009 Contacts:
Anne Saunders, MCS Scottish Projects Officer – Tel: 0131 226 2391 / 07894 566624
Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Projects Coordinator – Tel: 01989 567807/ 07793 118388
Sue Kinsey, MCS Pollution Programme Manager – Tel: 01989 567807
Rachel Bailey MCS Pollution team Assistant – Tel: 01989 567807
Beachwatch contact number for the public – Tel: 01989 567807
Richard Harrington, MCS Communications Manager – Tel: 01989 561585 / 07793 118384
General Marine Conservation Society switchboard – Tel: 01989 566017
beachwatch@mcsuk.org" beachwatch@mcsuk.org
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
Websites: www.mcsuk.org
www.adoptabeach.org.uk
www.goodbeachguide.co.uk


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, 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 HYPERLINK "http://www.fishonline.org" 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. HYPERLINK "http://www.mcsuk.org" www.mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is celebrating 25 years of protecting our precious seas, shores and wildlife this year.

MCS 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 national and International levels to raise awareness of the impacts of marine litter, to promote measures to reduce litter at source and to campaign for marine litter legislation. The sixteenth Beachwatch litter survey and beach clean took place on the 20th and 21st September 2008. Beachwatch Big Weekend 2009 will take place on 19th and 20th September, for further information see HYPERLINK "http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk" www.adoptabeach.org.uk