Oceans Of Marine Rubbish Dumped On Blue Flag Beach

TONNES of marine litter is being heaved up and down Cefn Sidan’s Blue Flag sands on successive tides. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The beach is a European Marine Site, one of the highest conservation designations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It is a massive problem with thousands of items from tree trunks to bottles and containers cast from shipping being delivered on tides to the beach that is often called the ‘Dustbin of the Atlantic.’ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It is also a beachcomber’s paradise with random messages in bottles finding their way ashore and even coconut trees adorned with coconuts being washed up. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The varied rubbish poses a danger to wildlife on the shore and marine life when in the water so efforts are made regularly to remove the vast tonnages from the system. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Several times a year Carmarthenshire council ranger’s wage war on the marine detritus with volunteer partners launching a litter picking operation to keep the litter down. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mencap Cymru volunteers along with council staff are planning a litter picking raid along the whole of the eastern end of Cefn Sidan recycling, and, where possible, sending to landfill what is of no use. This helps to reduce costs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

County executive board member for leisure services, Cllr Meryl Gravell said the plan was to remove the reservoir of marine litter building up at certain points on Cefn Sidan that can then swirl round in the system before being deposited at various points along the beach. The rangers must be complemented for the tremendous job they do safeguarding this magnificent attraction. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cefn Sidan is popular with visitors because of the many unusual finds. The beach has a tide fall of more than a mile in parts on which anything on the tidal surges gets stranded.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

County countryside ranger, Simeon Jones said: “We have started monitoring the beach for marine litter hot spots then targeting these to remove the reservoir of marine litter that can cycle around in the system. We are taking the situation seriously and are doing some proactive work to tackle this serious problem with partners involved including Keep Wales Tidy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Two areas have been identified where plastic has built up. A co-ordinated approach involving various partners including Carmarthenshire Wildlife Watch litter pickers along with Mencap Cymru and council staff will be taking part in March. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We will be monitoring the type of litter and identifying the areas where on the eight-mile beach it is being deposited which can vary with storm and height of tides having an influence.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One the creatures at risk from weight of marine litter heaved about the Pembrey beach is the rare Strandline Beetle which occurs at only three locations in the UK, Cefn Sidan being one of them. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The litter picking team will also be safe guarding the beetle’s habitat by placing refugia made from logs on the beach under which these magnificent beetles can shelter. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Jones is appealing to beach walkers who visit Cefn Sidan in their thousands each week to help by not remove the strategically placed logs from the beach as the strandline beetle needs the cover and uses the wood canopy to rest under. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

RAF Pembrey and Natural Resources Wales also being involved to help create a safer environment for the rare beetle. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​