John Shrives, Jersey’s marine and coastal manager, said plastic in the sea can harm fish, birds and even humans.
Havre des Pas
Jardin d’Olivet
La Pouquelaye
Noirmont Point
Portelet Common
Ouaisné Common
Queen’s Valley reservoir
Rue des Prés footpath
St Ouen’s Bay dunes
Today he called on Islanders not to leave rubbish or discarded bags of dog mess on beaches.
Mr Shrives said: ‘Plastics in the sea can entangle or suffocate marine life, but they also break down to smaller and smaller pieces, called micro-plastics.
‘These micro-plastics have harmful effects on marine life and can ultimately end up in the food we eat.
‘While the tide may make the plastic disappear from sight on the beach, it hasn’t gone away.’
Scientists have estimated that plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean covers an area twice the size of Texas in the US, and smaller areas of plastic pollution have been found trapped in circular currents in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
In Jersey, a specific concern is the number of complaints being received about dog mess on beaches being left in plastic bags, and the Eco-Active team has teamed up with the Environment Department to tackle the problem.
Last summer, volunteers collected more than half a ton of rubbish in just over an hour during an Islandwide beach clean.
A carpet, large rusty nails and a small bottle of the chemical methanol were just some of the items found during the event.
Around 80 volunteers swept the shorelines of a number of beaches across the Island, including St Ouen’s Bay, St Aubin’s Bay, Grève de Lecq and Bouley Bay. They collected a total of 533 kg of rubbish.
This included plastic bottles, disposable BBQs and lobster pots which had washed onto the shores – through no fault of the fishermen.
Ashley Johnson, who organised the event with his girlfriend Sadie Norman, said it was important to clean the beaches to protect the safety of Islanders and wildlife.
‘I am absolutely stunned at how much rubbish we collected and how many people turned up. It just shows that people do care,’ he said.
