IBAL Marine 2021 – Co Waterford Survey sites
A nationwide survey by business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) that took place during June and July judged Tramore beach to be Clean to European Norms and Dungarvan harbour to be moderately littered. While 40% of 32 coastal areas surveyed were deemed ‘Clean to European norms’, there was a rise in areas branded ‘littered’. “The story is a positive one in that we’ve seen a welcome rise in the number of clean beaches and harbours compared to our study of 2 years ago,” comments Conor Horgan of IBAL. “This is especially encouraging given the number of people who are staycationing and availing of our coastal amenities this year.”
“As well as local authorities, credit is due to the growing number of Clean Coasts volunteer groups, now 1,500-strong, who work so hard to keep our beaches free of litter. Their efforts are clearly bearing fruit,” adds Mr Horgan. “The most common forms of litter found by the assessors were cigarette butts, sweet wrappers, disposable masks and plastic bottles, with coffee cups also featuring strongly. Alcohol cans were found in almost half of all sites. “The majority of these litter item are plastics, whose impact on the marine environment is a recognised source of global concern. Cigarette butts, for example, may appear harmless, but they are in effect a single-use plastic which poses a real danger to our sea life.” Research shows a single butt can contaminate up to 200 litres of water.”
For information, below are the comments for IBAL Marine survey 2021 for Tramore beach and Dungarvan harbour.
IBAL coastal survey 2021 – An Taisce summary comments | ||
Tramore Overview | Clean to European Norms | Tramore: It was striking how incredibly clean the beach area and immediate hinterland of Tramore Strand were, with the beach particularly pristine. Regular bins were supplemented by additional ones for the summer season and litter awareness / dog fouling notices were in excellent condition and fresh in appearance. As well as recycling options, there was a novel feature for the collection of plastic bottles for recycling. Despite plenty of activity, there was a virtual absence of litter in the area surveyed. It is clear that great care is taken to not only keep the area clean and clear, but also an inviting and pleasant environment. |
Dungarvan Overview | Moderately littered | Dungarvan: The overall impression at Dungarvan harbour and immediate hinterland was of a moderately littered site with no large accumulations. There were some notable items within the water area e.g. traffic cones and alcohol related litter e.g. beer bottles and pint glasses. The problem with glass bottles and glass is that they can break and become a health hazard, as did happen at this site. Cigarette butts were also present around seating areas. The recent installation of solar powered bins with cigarette butt disposal facility is a welcome addition to the area. Walton Park was very freshly presented with attractive planning, good overall maintenance and minimal litter. The litter awareness notices were in good order. |
