Fifty-eight tonnes of waste picked from sea around Shetland

Julia Cant from KIMO at Mairs Pier.

Fifty-eight tonnes of waste have been collected in waters around the isles since 2014, environmental group Kimo has said.

The aim of the group is to bring together local governments, prevent pollution and protect, preserve and enhance the seas and coastal waters.

They have been working on cleaning up the North Sea since 2005 and Julia Cant of Kimo has said that every small amount adds up.

She said: “The litter that we collect is passively fished, people don’t go actively looking for it, so it is marine litter that is floating on the surface, and things that are caught in their gear and nets.

“Each boat has a bag, it could be a one tonne sack, if it’s a larger vessel.

“When they get to the quayside there is a designated area and the rubbish is put into a skip. We will collect the skip whenever the harbour says it’s full.

“A majority of the time the waste doesn’t come from the sea, it is being poured from the land.”