A PLASTIC cactus and four left shoes are just some of the unexpected items that have washed up on a Dumfries and Galloway nature reserve.
Wardens and volunteers at WWT Caerlaverock came across the unusual items during their annual spring beach clean on the Solway Firth.
Approximately six cubic metres of litter were collected over two days along a 2.5km stretch of coastline, including 303 plastic bottles, 80 metres of rope and fishing gear, 24 tennis balls, nine buoys and floats, a sheet of plastic foliage, four left shoes and a plastic cactus, to name just some of the items.
The clean-up is held on the nature reserve every year with help from the Solway Firth Partnership to tackle the problem of marine litter on this special part of Scotland’s coastline.
This time, five staff and nine volunteers put in nearly 60 hours.
David Pickett, site manager at WWT Caerlaverock, said: “The Solway is a unique place and home to vital species and habitats such as the Svalbard barnacle geese which come here every year, whooper swans, widgeon, lapwing and many other animals. For some of these birds this is the only place in the UK where they live and can be seen.
“Unfortunately, marine litter is a real problem which has an impact not only on the beauty of this special area but on these important species and their habitats. Discarded items which end up in the sea, particularly plastic, gets washed up on the coastline causing environmental damage and a danger to the birds who can end up eating or getting entangled in litter. We’re proud to work with the Solway Firth Partnership to tackle this and grateful to our team of wardens and volunteers who helped us with the clean up.”
Nic Coombey, from the Solway Firth Partnership, added: “While this problem isn’t unique to the Solway, it is an issue here that needs to be addressed. Buoyant plastic is the most common type of marine litter, often travelling from nearby and far away because it is so durable. Beach cleans are only part of the solution to tackling this global issue, but they are important because they make the coast better for people and wildlife as well as raising awareness of the damage it can cause to the environment.”
