Coastal wildlife in danger

Hundreds of species of marine wildlife accidentally eat or become tangled up in litter. As well as harming wildlife, litter on our beaches is also hazardous to people warn the Society.

In an attempt to tackle the problem, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve regularly organises beach cleans at both Rye Harbour and Pett Level, the latest took place on July 23 and 24.

The surveys, part of the Marine Conservation Society’s national “Beachwatch” campaign, aim to reduce the amount of litter on our beaches and get a better picture of what washes up on our beaches and when.

Andy Dinsdale said; “Nine dedicated volunteers turned out to help clean up and record the rubbish found on the beach. A stretch of beach at both Rye Harbour and Pett Level was surveyed, collecting 5 bags of litter weighing 8kg, mainly composed of plastic litter, with fishing net very common.

“Sadly, several used nappies were found at both Rye Harbour and Pett Level, which shows that beach visitors are not always taking their litter home with them.

If you would like to volunteer to help keep our beaches clean, the next litter surveys will be taking place over the Big Beachwatch Weekend on 17th & 18th September. For more information please contact Lucy Balmforth on [email protected] or 01797 227784 for Rye Harbour surveys, or Andy Dinsdale at [email protected] for Pett Level surveys.