Beaches & Marine Litter Project

Argyll and Bute has approximately 3000 miles of coastline and as such, beaches and their surrounding environs represent a hugely important resource in social, economic and environmental terms. With this thought in mind, The GRAB Trust secured funding for a stand alone Beaches and Marine Litter Project which started in 2005. The project has a dedicated Beaches and Marine Litter Officer based in Lochgilphead who covers the whole of Argyll and Bute.

The project has recently produced the "Best Practice Guide to Beach Cleaning" leaflet.  Please note, the front cover for this leaflet can be downloaded separately.

This project aims to promote and enhance the sustainability of beaches within Argyll and Bute.

Aim: Promote the Seaside Award and increase the number of beaches with Award status.

The Seaside Award is an annual UK Award and is run in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful. It is only presented to those beaches whose water quality meets the standards set by the EU Bathing Water Directive. There are two categories of award based on the character of the beach, its management and facilities. In 2006, 37 beaches in Scotland were awarded the coveted yellow and blue flag of the Seaside Award; two of them are in Argyll & Bute, Machrihanish in Kintyre and Ganavan Bay near Oban. The Beaches project is responsible for co-ordinating the management of the award beaches with help from Argyll and Bute Council, the local community and stakeholders.  For further information about the awards see the KSB website www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org
Seaside Award beach at Machrihanish (Copyright K.Judd)

Aim: Support existing community beach groups and initiatives and co-ordinate new groups.

The Beaches project works closely with and actively promotes initiatives such as the Marine Conservation Society’s Adopt-a-beach and BeachWatch initiatives. The number of beach cleans carried out in conjunction with both these initiatives has increased since the Beaches project started. For further information see the MCS website www.mcsuk.org Equipment such as litter pickers, bags and gloves and advice is available by contacting the Beaches and Marine Litter Officer. The recently produced best practice guide to beach cleaning may also be invaluable to groups or individuals.
Beach clean on Islay with Re-Jig (Copyright D. Protherough)

Aim: Approach all Schools in Argyll and Bute and provide marine litter environmental education and assistance as requested.

A marine litter education workshop has been developed by the project officer and can be tailored to particular topics, classes, age ranges and geographical areas to meet the needs of any schools. These workshops have been well received by pupils and teachers alike. Beach cleans can also be carried out with the project officer providing equipment and assistance. The recently launched Beach Litter education pack is available to all schools by contacting the GRAB Trust for a free DVD; alternatively see the dedicated website www.beachlitter.co.uk for further details.

Environmental education events, fairs and talks also fall within the remit of this project.
Grey seal entanglement in marine litter (Copyright R.Fleet)

Aim: Provide a range of information resources on the project and marine litter issues for the public and other stakeholders.

A beach guide to Argyll and Bute has been produced and is available free at any Visit Scotland Office in Argyll and Bute. The guide celebrates the many wonderful and diverse beaches around Argyll and Bute and is aimed at visitor and locals alike.

We have also published the newsletter Flotsam and Jetsam that includes information on the many individuals and groups involved in the various aspects of beach management.
Saddell Bay(Kintyre), one of the many beaches to be included in the Argyll and Bute Beach Guide (Copyright K.Judd)

Aim: Liaise with national groups, networks, forums and campaigns.

The Beaches project has become a member of the Local Coastal Partnerships made up of all the fora across the country such as the Firth of Clyde Forum and the Forth Estuary Forum. The Beaches project keeps up to date with the work of National bodies and groups such as Clean Coast Scotland, CoastNET and the Marine Conservation Society as well as at a local level such as the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the Marine and Coastal Development Unit from Argyll and Bute Council.

Aim: Develop and co-ordinate an Argyll and Bute Beach Forum

The Beaches project has set up a beach forum for those individuals, community groups and organisations that actively help to manage the beaches of Argyll and Bute.

The main aim of the forum is to bring together everyone managing the beach environment, allowing the exchange of information on topics such as best practice, funding and health and safety.  It will also allow the discussion of issues, problems and ideas and it will help to raise awareness of the importance of the beach environment in Argyll and Bute.

The forum was successfully launched on Friday 20 October in Oban.  For more information on the forum follow the link.

Speakers at the launch of Argyll and Bute Beach Forum.  (L to R)Aisa Nebreda, GRAB Beaches Officer, Claire Pescod, Clyde Forum Officer, Callum Duncan, Marine Conservation Society and Suzanne Roberts, Keep Scotland Beautiful.  (copyright M. Lewis)