A FLEET of boats have taken part in the first ever sea litter pick to help remove rubbish from the ocean off the north coast.
The National Trust teamed up with marine businesses and volunteers to mark World Heritage Day.
The large-scale litter pick took place on Tuesday 17 April along the inaccessible bays between Dunseverick Castle and the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site.
Six volunteers worked in pairs to swim in and out of the bays to retrieve not only rubbish and plastic but an entire fishing net and several huge tangles of rope that the rangers had identified in a survey.
National Trust Area Ranger, Dr Cliff Henry said: “With growing concerns about the volume of litter and plastic ending up in our waters, it is great to be able to work with local businesses to protect the natural habitats and wildlife around us.
"A recent report revealed that 82% of marine litter found in 2017 was plastic – this is certainly worrying, especially as 30% of all marine litter was single use plastic. It was great to get out on the water for our first ever litter pick at sea and do our bit towards tackling marine litter.”
