A huge amount of plastic and other debris has been washed up along a short stretch of Gower beach.
More than sixty volunteers answered the call to help clean-up beauty spot Three Cliffs, collecting 14lbs of rubbish along a controlled area of just 100 metres.
The total haul along that stretch included 376 pieces of fishing net, 256 pieces of plastic, 83 pieces of polystyrene, 170 plastic bottle lids and 162 cotton buds.
In addition, 28 pieces of foam insulation, 64 pieces string, 18 shotgun cartridges and another 25 items including glow sticks to socks and recovered.
The clear-up, which wasn't limited to the controlled 100 metre stretch, was part of the Marine Conservation Society’s efforts to keep beaches clear of marine litter, Beachwatch, which involves volunteers rolling up their sleeves to ensure local beaches are kept clean and safe.
These are the people whose faces have been painted on a massive mural alongside a Swansea main road
Beachwatch organiser Sarah Davies of the Gower Heritage Centre said: “The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at, it negatively impacts some of our best-loved marine wildlife.
“Marine litter can be mistaken for food and is ingested by species including seabirds, turtles and whales and can also injure and entangle animals such as seals and dolphins.
“The clean-up not only makes the beach look great for visitors, but will also help the Marine Conservation Soceity identify where the litter comes from and try to stop it at source.”
MCS surveys have recorded a steady increase in the amount of beach litter since 1994.
The four main sources of litter found on UK beaches come from the public: fishing, sanitary waste, particularly cotton bud sticks and wet wipes, and shipping. Plastic makes up almost 70% of litter found on UK beaches.
But the MCS say the 5p carrier bag charge, a ban on microbeads in wash-off products, consultations on a plastic tax, commitments to deposit return scheme and the reduction in the use of plastic straws have all been supported by compelling evidence gathered over decades MCS beach cleans.
The Three Cliffs beach clean was supported by Gower Heritage Centre and Swansea Ramblers.
Sarah added: “This was our most successful beach clean in terms of volunteers and we are very grateful to each and everyone that attended. Some came from as far as Cardiff to help.”
