Volunteers take part in Lecale coastal clean-up

Volunteers take part in Lecale coastal clean-up

6 September 2017

CONSERVATION conscious volunteers took part in a clean-up of the Lecale coastline at the weekend.

Approximately 25 volunteers took part in a major operation co-ordinated by the Strangford lough and Lecale Partnership as part of its Coast Care initiative.

Around 40 bags of rubbish were lifted on a stretch of coastline between St John’s Point and Killough on Saturday.

In addition, a team of kayakers, which included Killough man Kieron Black and local councillor Cadogan Enright, collected items from areas inaccessible by land which were then put placed on a rigid inflatable boat.

Among the large items found were tyres, fish boxes, rubber boots and fish netting. All of the rubbish was taken by boat to Killough where it was collected by Newry, Mourne and Down Council, which provided the volunteers with refuse sacks, gloves and litter picks.

The clean-up was supported by a grant from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Live Here Love Here scheme.

Kieron said: “I was delighted to be approached by the SLLP to help access areas that cannot usually be cleaned because it is so difficult to reach them and to carry rubbish back from them overland.

“I love being out on the water along this coast and am pleased to be involved in restoring this section.”

Cllr Enright said: “This area is a hard walk, and transporting large amounts of rubbish is impossible except by boat.

“We used the canoes to ferry rubbish to the rib or collect from inaccessible coves and made multiple trips to Killough as we filled the rib many times over.”

Caroline Nolan, Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership manager, thanked everyone who took part in the operation.

“This is an exceptionally beautiful piece of coastline which was in danger of being destroyed and some of the items found are extremely dangerous to wildlife,” she said.

“It would appear that some of the items were discarded from fishing boats, but others are responsible for discarding litter indiscriminately.”

In a plea to people visiting the area, she added: “It is up to all of us to take our litter home.”