CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, recently participated in the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean in Longniddry. The Great British Beach Clean ran from 15-24 September on beaches across the UK and Channel Islands.
The event involved picking up litter on beaches and recording a tally of items collected. Over the course of last year, 13,500 volunteers got involved with beach cleans in the UK with the Marine Conservation Society, collecting over 17 tonnes of rubbish. The most common litter type found was plastic fragments, followed by plastic packets, plastic caps/lids, plastic string/cord and wet wipes. People are advised to bin wet wipes instead of flushing them down the toilet.
You can find more information about running a beach cleaning event, fundraising or volunteering for the Marine Conservation Society from their website at: www.mcsuk.org
Following the beach clean, Craig Hoy MSP said: “I was delighted to join volunteers from the Marine Conservation Society to help clean Longniddry beach. East Lothian has a great range of award-winning beaches, and it is vital we keep them clean and stop harmful litter from polluting the ocean or harming marine life.”
Caitlin Godfrey, Shellfish Engagement Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “It was great to have MSP Craig Hoy join 35 other volunteers at our Longniddry beach clean. Together, we collected 12kg of litter from the beach and recorded every piece of litter that we found. This vital data on pollution enables us to campaign for positive change to protect our seas.”
