Harbouring Waste Safely

 
Getting to grips with marine waste in the Moray Firth was the subject of a seminar organised by the Moray Firth Partnership in Inverness this week as delegates from local harbours met to discuss ways of making the coastline cleaner and safer for local people, visitors and wildlife.

Harbour managers and users from along the Moray Firth coast heard from speakers from as far afield as Shetland and Cardiff on current best practice in waste management and looked at how local harbours might address the implications of forthcoming marine waste legislation.

Captain George Dobbie of the Moray Firth Partnership said: “ Research suggests that around 20% of beach litter in the Moray Firth comes from fishing and shipping. Marine waste can injure or kill wildlife such as dolphins, seals and seabirds as well as making beaches unpleasant, or even dangerous, for local people and visitors. With new marina facilities being proposed at a number of locations along the Moray Firth, and with new legislation placing a duty on harbours to reduce waste, marine waste management is an increasingly important issue for local harbours, boat owners and operators. The presentations and discussions at the seminar sparked off a number of ideas for local initiatives as well as providing participants with information and advice.”

The programme for the day included presentations by key speakers with hands-on experience of waste management in harbours, including representatives from Cardiff Harbour Authority, Sandhaven Harbour Trust, SEPA, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Green Blue Initiative (a joint initiative by the British Marine Federation and the Royal Yachting Association). A site visit was hosted by Inverness Harbour Trust. The seminar was run as part of the Moray Firth Partnership’s three-year “Beach Guardians” programme with special support from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. 

For further information on the “Beach Guardians” programme, please contact Helen Smith, Hazel Bews or Gayle MacBean at Rowan Tree Consulting, tel 01463 715225, e-mailbeachguardians@morayfirth-partnership.org.

For further information on the Moray Firth Partnership, please contact Rachel Harding-Hill, tel 01463 225530,