
A MORAY HOLIDAY village is hoping to rally local people behind an attempt to keep one of the region’s most popular beaches clean and safe.
Owners of the Silver Sands Holiday Village in Lossiemouth are organising a clean-up operation and beach survey with a view to tackling coastal pollution and maintaining an attractive coastline.
The initiative is part of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) survey that seeks to highlight issues of beach litter throughout the UK coastline. To help with the effort at Silver Sands the village’s general manager, Rebecca Grant, is calling on volunteers from the local community to help make the clean-up successful.
She said: “West Beach is a wonderful stretch of sand – so we are asking local people to take part in an event that will not only keep the beach looking great for visitors, but will also help MCS identify where the litter comes from and try to stop it at source.
“In return for giving us their time we will feed all volunteers with a free bacon sandwich and cup of tea in the comfort of our on-park restaurant.”
MCS surveys have recorded a steady increase in the amount of beach litter since 1994, with the four main sources of litter found coming from the public, fishing, sanitary waste (particularly cotton bud sticks) and shipping.
Rebecca said: “The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at, it can harm and even kill some of our best-loved marine wildlife.
“Over 170 species including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food and actually eaten it, which in many cases has resulted in starvation, poisoning and ultimately a slow, painful death.
“Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets also injure, entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine animals, including seals and dolphins.”
The clean-up event will take place on Saturday, September 19 starting at 10am with volunteers being asked to meet at the Dunes Complex on Silver Sands Holiday Village.