28 Jan 2018

Anglers embark on Beach Clean to show they care

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I joined seven members of Bideford & District Angling Club at Clovelly this morning to carry out a beach clean of the foreshore and harbour area. Following issues with angling related litter Bideford Club were determined to show that anglers do care and condemn those who drop litter and tarnish the majority of anglers who do take their litter home. In all we collected 16 bags of rubbish of which I would estimate 1% was angling related. The vast majority of the litter was plastic and its long levity was illustrated quite starkly by this old Ski Yogurt pot that  I googled to find it probably began its life in the mid 70’s.

Children’s plastic toys were also abundant along with plenty of household containers. Some of the debris has undoubtedly come from waste that had been dumped on the cliff-side by villagers in times gone by to be dislodged as the cliffs subside and the sea pounds the upper foreshore. Giving up a couple of hours to pick up the unsightly waste from the foreshore brings home the immensity of the plastic and waste issue that is caused by our modern lifestyle. There is a minority of anglers who add to this problem with their own debris but society has a big problem as could be seen as I drove home along the Atlantic highway with its littered verges.

Fishing line was amongst a small amount of angling related litter that included a couple of frozen bait wrappers.
Litter picking

 

Plastics and other debris dislodged as the cliff subsides.

 

 

26 Oct 2017

Crow Point – Beach Clean

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Pauline and I joined volunteers at Crow Point on a beach clean organized by the West Country Rivers Trust. Organizer Kathi Bauer told me that they counted 14 full bin bags of rubbish at the end of the event,lots of the usual waste but also some sharps. Whilst around  20 people signed in they counted a lot more – Jodie and Cat of the WCRT estimated between 45 to 60 people overall, including children.

It was great to join in clearing the debris from the estuary and to my relief there wasn’t too much angling related litter. The event commenced with an informative walk and talk with  Dave Edgcombe, who gave a very informative talk about the Taw and Torridge Estuary explaining how mankind industry has shaped the landscape. I have been visiting the White house area for close to fifty years and was astonished how much the landscape has evolved  as a result of natures relentless forces. The Whitehouse was originally built in conjunction with the ferry that once linked Instow, Appledore and Braunton. The location being the original mouth of the River Caen a river that once had a significant run of salmon and sea trout!

The breaking through of the sluice gates has certainly transformed the area known as Horsey Island behind the Whitehouse! ( Below)

(Above) Volunteers at the beach clean.

(Above) A wide range of debris

(Above) Bags of litter

Litter is something that really annoys me and it was great to get out in the fresh air and do our bit. I have raised the issue of angling related litter before and will do so again but its not just anglers who leave litter its a problem that blights the whole of society. I challenge any one to find any where that’s not blighted by litter. Even on a beautiful beach on the West Coast of Scotland there were bits of plastic debris on the shoreline.

Next time you go fishing make sure you take your litter home and any that others have left. If we all pick up a bit it will make a difference.

http://www.summerlands-tackle.co.uk