Isle of Man fishermen are being encouraged to collect rubbish from the sea and bring it ashore in a project to help clean the marine environment.
The Fishing for Litter (FFL) initiative will see the Isle of Man Government provide fishermen with reusable marine litter sacks to collect rubbish that is caught in nets during normal fishing activities.
Filled bags are emptied into designated quayside bins before the waste is safely taken away. Buckets will also be made available from harbour offices so crews can prevent any plastic from blowing into the sea when undertaking tasks such as net mending.
Each Isle of Man port will be paired with a local school and information from the marine litter collected will be used to educate children about the issue.
Children will learn all about the range of waste items found at sea, and the issues that they cause. They will gain a better understanding of the vital work that fishermen are doing to protect the sea from litter.
Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture said: ‘Fishing for Litter is part of our national commitment to help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our seas; a healthy marine environment is vital for everyone, especially the fishing industry as their livelihoods depend on it.’
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Posted On: 30/01/2020