Marine / ‘Long may it continue’ – Fishing For Litter scheme celebrates 20th anniversary
A SCHEME encouraging fishermen to take marine litter they find at sea back to port for disposal is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Fishing For Litter, led by KIMO International, has been on the go in Scotland since 2005 and an estimated 30,000 bags of bruck have been collected by Scottish fishermen to date.
Lerwick was one of the first ports in the UK to take part. The scheme is an international affair, however, operating in other countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Germany and Spain, although some are operated by different organisations.
It was described as a “no brainer” at a special event held in Lerwick on Friday morning to mark the anniversary.
A total of 90 tonnes of rubbish has been collected by Shetland boats since the scheme began locally.
Around 75 tonnes of this has come ashore in Lerwick. This was the first Shetland port to take part in the scheme, with Scalloway and Cullivoe later joining.
A total of 22 Shetland boats are signed up to the scheme.
Marine little remains a topical theme, with Shetland News sharing a photo recently of a Risso’s dolphin with monofilament line wrapped around its fin.
Fishermen are provided with hardwearing bags to collect marine litter they find in their nets, and when they are ashore it is placed into a skip. The scheme covers the costs of disposal.
The items recovered by boats naturally vary in size and weight; from pieces of plastic rubbish, to a net weighing two tonnes which was trawled up by Sharyn Louise in 2018 and taken back to shore for disposal.
Lerwick, Peterhead, and Fraserburgh were the first three ports and fishing fleets that originally participated when the scheme opened in Scotland in 2005.
At Friday’s event Rick Nickerson, who was involved in its creation, reflected on the amount of marine litter collected through the scheme over the last two decades.
He said it is litter “that’s not damaging wildlife, not entangling boat propellors, it’s not coming up on our beaches”.
“I think in that respect we owe the fishermen and the port authorities that are involved a great big round of applause,” the former councillor said.
Nickerson added that before the scheme launched then fishing crews would be charged for disposal of waste.
Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Sheila Keith said it was a “no brainer” for local crews to be involved, adding that “they shouldn’t be responsible for the cost” of cleaning up the environment.
She also remarked on the extra fishing boats now active in waters around Shetland from outside the isles.
“With that comes less responsible fishermen who are not willing to go and clean up gear they’ve either lost accidentally or deliberately,” Keith said.
She added that Fishing For Litter has “made it very clear to our fishermen who are more responsible for that waste in the sea than others”.
Keith also supported the idea of monitoring what is put into the skips, and see where it might be coming from.
She also expressed a desire to see gear recycled, adding a suggestion that decommissioning companies could perhaps support this.
One person also involved in the start of Fishing For Litter was John Mouat, who is now head of the protected sea programme at the Scottish Government.
He said Fishing For Litter is a “key part” of marine litter policy, and that the government is keen to keep funding it.
“I think the real benefit is just working together with the fishing industry,” Mouat said.
“It’s a really positive project for everybody, it’s a way to show how we’re looking after the marine environment jointly, and I think it’s going from strength to strength.”
Lerwick Port Authority’s HSEQ and projects manager Stuart Wadley also voiced support for the project.
He said it was “one of those classic examples of Shetland PLC all working together for the benefit of Shetland”.
Shetland Islands Council’s environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall added that the wider society is “more and more aware” of the importance of the marine environment to the planet.
She also said it was important that new fishing crews embed the litter scheme into their thinking.
Shetland Islands Council was a founding member KIMO when it formed in 1990, and it previously hosted the international secretariat.
The council’s planning manager Iain McDiarmid also spoke at Friday’s event, having been involved in KIMO locally over the years.
Regarding Fishing For Litter, he said it is “really quite nice to be involved in something that is a no brainer”.
“In the world of planning, somebody wants something to happen, somebody doesn’t…so whatever way you go, somebody is unhappy. Whereas actually things like Fishing For Litter is just such a no brainer.”
At Friday’s event a commemorative award was presented recognising role Lerwick has played in the scheme over the last 20 years.
KIMO International, which is now based in Denmark but maintains a local presence through Robina Barton coordinating its UK activity, brings together local governments with the aim of supporting “healthy seas, clean beaches and thriving coastal communities”.
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