Coastal communities turn out in force to stamp out marine litter

HUNDREDS of volunteers in this county have answered Clean Coasts and National Spring Clean joint call to organise a clean-up to protect the wild Atlantic ocean this month.

Ten clean-up events took place in Clare this Wednesday supported by 200 volunteers who had been provided with free clean-up kits by the two non-governmental organisations (NGO). 

World Ocean Day is celebrated annually on June 8 to highlight the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet. In 2022, the focus was once more be on the 30×30 campaign: to create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilise the climate, Experts believe it is critical that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean are protected by 2030.

One of the big issues affecting the Atlantic is marine litter which has become a global problem for both humans and marine life. Research shows that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities.

Clean Coasts and National Spring Clean have commended communities, including that in Lahinch, who have demonstrated their desire to be part of the solution by taking part in several beach cleaning and clean-up calls to action. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, debris, including heavy plastics have been removed from marine environments in North Clare. 

The World Ocean Day clean ups build on the success of the Spring Clean 22 campaign, which took place in the month of April and saw 500,000 volunteers organising over 5,600 clean-ups. The success of those events inspired the National Spring Clean programme to join Clean Coasts once again this year in supporting coastal communities around Ireland.

“We were so overwhelmed with the support received from the public,” said Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager. “In under 72 hours over 230 clean-ups had already registered on the Clean Coasts website.”

Tributes have been paid to the support of communities in Clare comes, following hot on the heels of the successful National Spring Clean campaign, which saw over 6,000 volunteers organise over 160 clean-ups around the county.

Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life. The Clean Coasts programme is proudly sponsored by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland.