Skip full of litter removed at Mayo beach by volunteers

A group of 25 Mayo people, including eight children, removed over a skipful of litter from Blacksod Bay Beach on Sunday.

The cleanup, organised as part of Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s (BIM) Co-ordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS) initiative, was attended by many members of the local community.

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Over the course of the hour, the skip was filled with 28 bags of marine litter from the coast, as well as entangled nets and ropes and lobster pots that had washed ashore. 

The event also included a talk on the issues that arise from marine litter. Those in attendance were also informed of the support that is available from the organisations present, including BIM and the Mayo Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

The clean-up was part of a series of coastal clean-ups taking place in Europe under the INTTERREG Atlantic Area funded project Free LitterAT project.

Olivia Jones, who serves as Mayo’s Clean Coasts Development Officer, believes that clean-ups like the one at Blacksod Bay are crucial in displaying the importance of maintaining Ireland’s coastline.

“This type of event really demonstrates the positive impact we can have on our environment and our sense of place in the community when we pull together for our localities,” Ms Jones stated.