Keiss Beach Tidy Up
A group of 19 volunteers took part in this years' Beachwatch at Keiss beach last Saturday (16th September). The clean-up was organised by the Highland Council Planning and Developments’ countryside rangers as part of the national event, the most extensive monitoring programme in Europe for coastal and marine litter.
Members of the Caithness Critters, Caithness Countryside Volunteers and members of the public took part in the event to help rid the beach of unsightly and dangerous litter. The group removed marine debris and litter from 110m of rocky shore area by the Keiss beach car park. The types and quantities of litter were recorded for data collection by the Marine Conservation Society. This year at Keiss; plastic, rope, strapping and fishing net accounted for much of the debris.
Marina Swanson, Highland Council’s East Caithness Ranger and Saturday’s beach clean organiser said: “Sinclairs Bay has seen a dramatic clean up effort for the Beachwatch event this year. Under the direction of Mr Watt, Subsea 7 undertook a very extensive beach clean the day before and removed massive amounts of debris. Our group of volunteers concentrated on a small part of the rocky shore at Keiss and collected several bags of rubbish, recording everything which was removed. The combined efforts of Subsea 7 and our volunteers have greatly improved the state of the beach for both wildlife and recreational users. Many thanks to everyone who took part.”
Beachwatch is coastal environmental initiatives organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), involving local individuals, groups and communities in caring for their coastal environment. Further information can be found on the internet at: http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/.
Refreshments after the event were funded by the Moray Firth Partnership. Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers are grant aided by Scottish Natural Heritage. The role of Countryside Rangers is to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of the countryside and to conserve wildlife and habitats.