Beach cleans held ahead of bird nesting season

People on the Isle of Man have been encouraged to join organised beach cleans ahead of nesting season to help to protect chicks from plastic pollution.

Beach Buddies founder Bill Dale said volunteers would concentrate their efforts on beaches "where thousands of seabirds lay their eggs each year".

He said evidence suggested rubbish left on the beach could be "mistaken by birds for food, which can then be fed to their chicks".

The sessions take place between 10:30 and 12:00 GMT at Langness on Sunday, with another at the same time at Smeale on 23 February.

Mr Dale said volunteers would "do our best" to clear up the two "major areas" covering a stretch about 12 miles (19km) ahead of nesting season, which runs from March to August.

"It's a simple, clear message message - get rid of the rubbish before the bird nesting season starts to protect them," he said.

About 200 tonnes of waste is collected by Beach Buddies each year after being washed up along the island's coast.

This has included fishing gear, such as ropes and netting, plastic bottles, tin cans, tents and sleeping bags.

But Mr Dale said if residents could not join the organised Sunday sessions he would "really encourage people to pick up as much litter in these areas as they can over the next couple of weeks".

"The more we take off the beaches, the better it is for birds," he added.

Set up in 2006, the group holds regular beach cleaning sessions across the island.

The organisation has recently shared its upset at a rise in the fly-tipping of electrical goods on the Manx coast.

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