empty bottles are filled with fishing line discards, and the woven nylon never goes away, unless you pick it up. Its a disaster on every beach
It's reassuring to know that this pile of fishing related marine pollution is EU approved, before it got lost or dumped overboard
Once you get stuck into the task, it becomes rewarding, not so daunting, you start to enjoy a menial task that only you can justify doing. Beach litter picking has a simple logic
..and the more bits you see, the more you want to pick it all up
Its those tiny bits of plastic everywhere, left behind when all the big bits of marine litter were collected during the Redd Up. The closer you look, the more plastic you see
Next day, another lovely beach, another bit of beach cleaning, another chance to find interesting things, another adventure
Time for a cup of tea in Scalloway
There we are, a unique place called St Ninian's tombola beach. I left it cleaner that when I came, and I was suitably rewarded
Why dont people eat these things, starfish?? Anyone know?? Answers on a post card to Donald Trump, he has so much to learn
You only live once, so engage with life, it always rewards you
The Shetland Isles has the largest community clean up in the British Isles, it is called Da Voar Redd Up, but more stuff washes up every day alas
Plenty more people feel the same way, here is the plastic lifted off this same beach over the previous weekend, the rubbish container is full of it
...Here is the reason to bother about the plastic on the beach...I spent time here cleaning the beach for this "free spirit" and everyone else who loves beautiful places.
Back at the bench, here is what I picked up...why bother eh, there will be lots more wash in tomorrow
Lots of fishing net offcuts everywhere, into the bag they go, and it took a good hour to walk the length of the tombola both sides picking up plastic
An empty bottle to stuff with fishing net offcuts, and a woven plastic bag even....people using the sea as a dustbin is not sustainable
...but once you start pulling plastic out of the seaweed, it soon mounts up into a pile of it, and some of it is tiny micro-plastic items
...well almost unspoilt, apart from bits of plastic in amongst the natural beach items....you might not notice the plastic at first....
Got the beach to myself, apart from the birds...nice place, peaceful and unspoilt
The tombola or double sided beach connects St Ninian's Isle to the South Mainland
After collecting lots of excellent tourist leaflets from the ferry terminal, it was away to do some beachcombing. This is St Ninians Isle, a classic example of a "tombola"
Early arrival in Lerwick, after a smooth crossing and ferry is spot on time, well done Northlink for sponsoring the ferry cabin and car passage
Leaving Aberdeen Harbour behind as the ferry steams out on the 12hour crossing, with good weather and a calm sea
My trusty Toyota about to transport the roadshow onto the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland

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