Salmon farmer Scottish Sea Farms took part in the Great British Beach Clean in Shetland, helping to clear rubbish from the coastline in Scalloway.
The clean-up, which is overseen nationwide by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), also involved volunteers from sector body Salmon Scotland.
They retrieved debris including discarded fishing nets, ropes, plastic bottles and driftwood during the event on September 17.
The beach clean teams also recorded what they found so the MCS can compile a national database to help inform and shape future policy around protecting our shores.
The effort is part of a wider initiative by the salmon farming sector to keep Scotland’s beaches free of marine litter by recovering any items, regardless of their origin.
Previous beach cleans have revealed a high proportion of plastic and polystyrene among the rubbish collected, as well as metal, wood, pottery and ceramics, glass, paper and cardboard, rubber, cloth and sanitary waste
The MCS said collating this data has helped to make a positive impact on the ocean, with the information driving its conservation work and also feeding into the International Coastal Clean-up.
In Scalloway, Marine Engineering Supervisor Grant Masson and colleagues collected more than 30 bags across three beaches after a combined effort between Marine Engineering and the net store.
‘Marine Engineering has been part of the Scalloway beach clear for more than 10 years and this year we had 15 staff taking part, as well as helpers from Salmon Scotland,’ said Masson.
‘Supporting the local community is key for Scottish Sea Farms as we have been established in Scalloway for a long time and keeping our coastline as clean as possible benefits everyone in the community.
‘The more of us who give a few hours of our time doing our bit to protect our local beaches, the bigger the difference we’ll make.’ The Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean has been running from Friday, 18 September 18 and ends on Sunday, September 27.
