Lady Glasgow is set to discuss the important issue of tackling the scourge of marine litter in the Firth of Clyde at a special summit in Millport on Saturday 26 November.

The Field Studies Centre is hosting the event in collaboration with the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) and other partner organisations including the RSPB, Community of Arran Seabed Trust and the Open University.

The groups will be coming together to discuss and share practical advice and experiences in dealing with marine litter, followed by a workshop considering policy options on how to deal with the environmental danger.

The problem of marine litter in the Firth of Clyde is a well-documented and wide-ranging issue affecting many communities, beaches and the wider marine environment. In some cases, such as after extreme weather and storms or in areas where marine litter is more likely to gather along the north shores of the Firth of Clyde, it places extra burden on local authorities to deal with the problem.

Inefficient waste management, littering and sewage related debris from combined sewage overflow all contribute to the problem and in Scotland, 80% of marine litter comes from land based sources.

The resulting effect is that litter is found in every estuary, sea and ocean around the world.

Considering solutions across the terrestrial/marine boundary will be a central focus for the event.

Isabel Glasgow, Chairperson of the CMPP said “We are very pleased to be involved in this event and we look forward to the discussions on the day which will help generate solutions to the problem of marine litter in the Clyde and feed into the Regional Marine Plan. The collaborative nature of the event and looking at different perspectives from different communities around the region will also help raise awareness of the size of the problem and support the need for more integrated action and thinking about land based solutions as well as considering the ultimate impact on the marine environment.”

Talks on the day will include a look at the latest science around micro-plastics and their impact on the Firth of Clyde, sharing best practise on litter picking activities and ways we can prevent litter entering the marine system. The event will culminate in a workshop exploring how marine planning can shape policy to address marine litter. This event builds on work done locally by individuals, community councils, local authorities and charities.

The CMPP is a regionally based stakeholder organisation which will take forward regional marine planning in the Firth of Clyde. Marine planning aims to co-ordinate all the activities which happen at sea (such as shipping, transport, recreation, fishing, aquaculture, renewable energy) to reduce conflict and maintain balance with environmental protection and sustainable development. While terrestrial planning has been in place on land for over 60 years, marine planning is new to Scotland and came into force with the Marine (Scotland) Act in 2010 and the National Marine Plan (2015), which will be implemented by Marine Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Government.

For the full programme and booking information please see this site: http://www.field-studiescouncil.org/