Norfolk beach rubbish survey to be launched
Victoria LeggettNorfolk is blessed with some of the best and cleanest beaches in the country - but worried volunteers are planning a mammoth survey of the rubbish which is being dumped on our shores.Victoria Leggett
Norfolk is blessed with some of the best and cleanest beaches in the country - but worried volunteers are planning a mammoth survey of the rubbish which is being dumped on our shores.
About a 100 people are expected to head for a three-mile stretch of the Norfolk coastline at the weekend to clean up chip forks, lobster pots and plastic bottles.
The volunteers from the University of East Anglia, including staff and students, will hit the beach on Sunday from Waxham to Horsey for the Big Beach Clean to get rid of rubbish.
They will also complete a survey of the litter they find, including its type, amount, source and the effect it has on wildlife including fish, seals and seabirds.
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They will also take photographs to show waste producers the damage being done to the environment.
While 42pc of beach litter is created by the public, fishing boats and commercial shipping also contribute and can be one of the most dangerous types since it can trap and injure animals.
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The clean-up has been organised by UEA volunteering administrator Elaine Sheriffs who was inspired after seeing first-hand the harm rubbish can cause to wildlife.
She said: 'I used to volunteer at the seal hospital in Winterton and I was interested in why the seals were injured. They get tangled up in fishing lines or suffocated by plastic bags.
'These are beautiful beaches but in some areas there is so much litter you can hardly see the sand.'
James Frost from the Campaign to Protect Rural England will also talk about the problem of increasing amounts of litter found on beaches.
The event has been sponsored by Gardline Marine Sciences - a leading marine contractor specialising in geophysical, hydrographic, environmental, oceanographic and geotechnical surveys.
Further support comes from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Marine Conservation Society, CSV Action Earth, and Student Bioblitz.
