This film is over 3 minutes long and we know that is a lot (but took us a lot longer to do), so will try to make some shorter highlights later. But we feel it should be put out at full length first and ask you to watch to show how serious issue the issue is and the effort and time required to try and make even a small dent in what is washing ashore on our coast, isles and is left in our seas.
We have rubbish coming ashore from multiple sources, including fishing and fish farming in remote areas - we try to do what we can to collect and bring it ashore.
In this case a fish farm pipe reported by Noel Hawkins a year ago has been left out on one of the summer isles, not just a hazard to shipping while floating, but also breaking down into micro-plastics as it sat in the sun being bashed against the rocks.
Last week we managed to get out and bring it into
Ullapool Harbour Trust who thankfully helped bring it ashore and chop it down. Turned out to be over 110 meters long and we still haven't managed a weight.
We realise this is an accidental byproduct of industry, however current systems are failing in addressing the issue. This level of ally industrial waste (not just litter) is beyond what we can keep up with, and we shouldn't have to.
If current levels of fish farming are to continue (and potentially expand, though whether that should be allowed in an 'MPA' is another debate!), there needs to be serious discussion at local and national level. We need intervention from industry, government and the agencies that are meant to be in place to protect our environment. As far as we can tell, they are all letting us down and failing our seas too.
