Over the past 10 years, more than 800 tonnes of litter have been removed from Scottish waterways as part of the Fishing for Litter project, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food & Environment, Richard Lochhead, revealed today (25 March).

Whilst visiting Eyemouth harbour this morning, Lochhead praised the Fishing for Litter project, run by the Norwegian-based Local Authorities International Environmental Organisation (KIMO), which has helped remove 800 tonnes of litter – including a washing machine, tumble dryer, a WWII mine and a curling stone – from Scottish waters since launching in April 2003.

The scheme, which received £40,000 of funding from the Scottish Government in 2014/15, asks participating fishermen to collect any marine litter from their nets in large, hard-wearing bags, before depositing them on the quayside. Once here, volunteers at the harbour monitor the waste before placing it in a skip for disposal. The cost of disposal is covered by the project (as is the cost of the bags).

There are currently 212 vessels participating in the Scottish scheme at 14 harbours.

‘Project’s success has been down to the dedication of the fishermen’

Lochhead said: “Litter is a blight on Scotland’s communities and coastlines, tarnishing our beautiful landscapes and harming our wildlife and natural assets.

“Much of this litter ends up on Scotland’s coastline which is damaging to our precious marine environment and harmful to our wildlife. It is also a major eyesore with waste often visible on our beaches and in our waters.

“Fishing for Litter is an excellent example of what can be achieved through partnership working. The project is making a real difference cleaning up Scotland’s seas, removing over 800 tonnes of litter shows just how far we have come in the last 10 years, which is why the Scottish Government has provided financial support to the project since 2005.

“It is a credit to KIMO, the fishing industry and our project partners that 212 boats and 14 harbours, right round the entire coastline of Scotland, currently participate in the scheme.”

Lochhead also announced that Buckie Harbour will become the latest port to join the scheme, taking the number of participating Fishing for Litter harbours in Scotland to 15.

Graham Humphries, Coordinator of KIMO UK, also commented, saying: “Fishing for Litter Scotland marks it 10-year anniversary this year, the project’s success has been down to the dedication of the fishermen, harbour masters and all those who help us raise awareness and the funds necessary to keep running.

“We are delighted that the minister has been part of the team since the start and his support and that of Marine Scotland has been, and will continue to be, very important in helping us ensure that this important project continues to grow and contribute to the important task of cleaning up our seas.

“Looking to the future, further funding remains vitally important to allow for the continued growth of the project and to keep our seas clean.”

Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland

As well as supporting the Fishing for Litter campaign, the Scottish Government last year launched a marine litter strategy in a bid to reduce the amount of coastal waste and prevent it from arising.

‘A Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland’, launched by Lochhead in August 2014, forms part of the Scottish Government’s national litter strategy, ‘Towards a litter-free Scotland’, and brings together measures for education and awareness raising; supporting economic growth; monitoring the scale of the problem; and influencing actions more widely at the UK, EU and international scale.

The strategy was developed in consultation with the public after the Scottish Government found that the approximate economic cost of the marine litter problem is £16.8 million a year, while the environmental impacts are ‘enormous’.

Find out more about Fishing for Litter in Scotland and A Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland.