Questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in the Scottish Parliament, Jeremy Balfour, Scottish Conservative MSP, has welcomed the Minister’s support for consideration to be given to forming localised plans to tackle the worst plastic pollution hotspots along the Firth of Forth.
Surveys over the last few years across the Firth of Forth have found anything from 200,000 to over 2 million plastic nurdles, small plastic pellets used in manufacturing, washed up on our shores. Last autumn, one local voluntary campaign saw 450,000 nurdles removed from the shore at Kinneil nature reserve in Bo’ness alone.
Commenting Jeremy said,
“We should be proud that the Firth of Forth is a major hub for industry in the area, but this should not be at a cost to vulnerable marine environment. These by-products from the plastics industry should not be allowed to pollute our seas and beaches and action needs to be taken at a local level to clean up our beaches.
Lothian’s beaches are some of the most picturesque in the country and combined with other areas of natural beauty such as the Bass Rock and the Isle of May, provide breading grounds for many rare species of bird and marine life, such as puffins, gannets and even the occasional whale. They must be protected and kept clean for future generations of wildlife and for the residents of the Lothians to enjoy.”