Big clean-up for Galway’s beaches

Volunteers descended on Grattan and Salthill beaches on Saturday (18 September) to take part in the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) beach-clean and survey, removing waste and litter.

Volunteers recorded all collected rubbish in a bid to identify the sources.

A spokesperson for Galway Atlantaquaria, which organises the annual event, said: “Beach litter is more than just an eyesore for thousands of beach visitors across the country; it is a global issue that represents a major threat to many vulnerable marine

species.

“It is estimated that, globally, over 1million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die every year from entanglement, or ingestion of plastics.”

MCS claim they will use the survey results from the Galway beaches, alongside details from hundreds of other surveys carried out last weekend, to tackle the sources of beach litter.

Sam Plester