With winter storms coming thick and fast the team from the North Devon Coast National Landscape headed to the coast in late December to remove a large amount of washed-up fishing gear. The Team was joined by staff from Plastic Free North Devon, North Devon Biosphere and Northam Burrows Country Park. Together they removed a mess of lobster pots and a large fishing net from the rocks at Downend in Croyde. This marine litter had been accumulating at Downend for years, so it was long overdue for removal.  

Jenny Carey-Wood, National Landscape Manager said “Marine litter that washes up on our beaches and rocks is a threat to wildlife and to people and can be a real eyesore in the landscape. We would like to thank those that did the heavy lifting on the day, local landowner Rupert Hare for giving us permission to more easily access the site and North Devon Council for collecting and disposing of the waste. Without this partnership working, removal of this heavy and tangled fishing gear would not have been possible. We are very lucky in North Devon and Torridge to also have some amazing community groups and individuals who regularly help to keep the beaches, towns and villages free from dropped litter, an ongoing need.” 

The National Landscape Team would like the public to notify them of any large quantities or unusual items that appear along the coastline. Team member Evie Giblett said “We have set up a rapid response team to help clear washed-up litter from the coastlines of North Devon and Torridge. If you are out and about and see anything that needs removing, please get in touch on aonb@devon.gov.uk  and we will do our best to respond promptly. There are also regular litter pick events organised by local groups, most of which can be seen on the events page of our website”. 

To find out more about beach cleans and other events in North Devon visit https://www.northdevoncoast-nl.org.uk/events  or email aonb@devon.gov.uk.