MORAY RESIDENTS ARE being urged to join a national effort to ensure our beaches are kept in the best possible condition.
Over 1400 people took part at 75 beaches in Scotland last year when the Marine Conservation Society organised their ‘Great British Beach Clean’.
Now they are hoping many more will again take part between September 16 and 19, coming together at Moray’s beaches to help turn the tide on marine litter.
Beachwatch is the Marine Conservation Society’s national beach cleaning and litter surveying programme – helping people all around the UK to care for their coastline with the Great British Beach Clean being the flagship event.
Volunteers are need as Beachwatch organisers for their local area – or just to come along to one of the registered events aimed at protecting our beaches and wildlife. Groups who already organise beach cleans are also being asked to get in touch via www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch so that they can be added to their database.
A spokeswoman said: “The database has helped bring about legislative changes to tackle litter at its source with amazing victories such as the 5p carrier bag charge. This year we are using your data to campaign for a bottle deposit return system in Scotland as there has been over a 20% increase in the plastic bottles you surveyed in 2015!
“Even if you have never done a beach clean before then come along and try it. Be a part of the UK’s biggest beach litter survey project, helping us gather important data needed to stop litter getting into our oceans and onto our beaches in the first place.”