Many renowned dignitaries have come to encourage the launch of a new phase of the Fishing for Litter scheme at the Isle of Whithorn. Aileen McLeod, the newly elected SNP South of Scotland list MSP, came along to lend her encouragement to the expansion of this innovative international initiative.
The information revealed that the Fishing for Litter is an international scheme involving provision of dedicated disposal facilities at a network of harbours in Scotland and northern Europe. In this scheme the commercial fishermen were given large bags so that any litter hauled in with the catch can be stored until it is landed.
KIMO, an organization that tackles marine pollution by working with around 150 European local authorities, has led this scheme. Councillor Alistair Geddes said that marine litter is a global problem and the fishing community at the Isle of Whithorn is playing an active part in tackling the issue. Tom Piper, KIMO UK coordinator, said that marine litter can have devastating effects on wildlife, costs the fishing industry money in downtime when gear becomes entangled, and often ends up on beaches where it detracts from scenic coastlines.
