BEACHES in West Wight are set to get a clean-up this weekend — thanks to an initiative spearheaded by the Marine Conservation Society.
Freshwater Bay, Totland Bay and Colwell Bay are being targeted in a beach clean and litter survey dubbed 'Beachwatch’ which aims to highlight the issue of beach litter around the UK’s coastline.
And the MCS is on the hunt for volunteers to go along and help in the clean-up to make the litter-pick at West Wight tourist hot-spots the best ever.
The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at 10am at Freshwater Bay and Totland Bay and 1pm on Sunday afternoon at Colwell Bay.
Local Beachwatch organiser, Peter Gibson from Freshwater said: "The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at, it can harm and even kill some of our best-loved marine wildlife.
"More than 170 species including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food and actually eaten it, which in many cases has resulted in starvation, poisoning and ultimately a slow, painful death."
He added: "Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets also injure, entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine animals, including seals and dolphins."
Reporter: davidn@iwcpmail.co.uk