Sands of grime (From Bournemouth Echo)

Sands of grime

6:30pm Friday 10th April 2009 in

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BEACH litter needs to be halved by 2015, with an ultimate goal of zero waste, according to a conservation charity.

The Marine Conservation Society has called for a co-ordinated approach from government and for everyone to dispose of litter properly as it kills wildlife, can be hazardous to people and costs millions to clean up.

The latest Beachwatch annual cleanup found that the problem has increased 110 per cent since 1994 and the south west as a whole had the highest density of litter abandoned by the public, fishing, sewage related debris and shipping of any England region, with 81,115 litter items collected from 56 beaches.

A total of 138 volunteers checked nearly 2,500 metres of Dorset coastline at beaches including Hengistbury Head, Lulworth Cove, Seatown, Studland, Worbarrow and Friars Cliff Beach.

Organisers also recorded Kinder toys and other items still coming ashore from the MSC Napoli, the cargo vessel that grounded off the Dorset coast in January 2006.

Cllr Don Collier, portfolio holder for environment at Borough of Poole, said as a diver he had seen people in boats throw items overboard.

“There is absolutely no reason and no excuse for people to throw things into the water,” he said.

“It ends up on our beaches. It has killed a lot of animals. Turtles are killed all the time by plastic bags.”

Chris Saunders, seafront business development officer at Bournemouth Borough Council, said the council invests considerable resources to ensure that beaches are clean and safe.

“Ultimately, if people did not drop litter we could make considerable savings – money which could be used elsewhere,” he said.

“Anyone seen by our seafront rangers dropping litter and leaving it on the beach is at risk of receiving a £75 on the spot fine.”

Oliver Buttling of Bournemouth’s Oceanarium said: “With leatherback turtles, basking sharks and dolphins just off the south coast, litter can be extremely damaging for the wildlife, causing poisoning and stomach blockages, which can kill.”

The next Beachwatch takes place on September 19 and 20.