Latest news with #RecycleMorBin
Pembrokeshire Herald
03-05-2025
- General
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembroke Dock pupils complete water safety course thanks to local charity
Sea Trust project gives abandoned fishing nets a second life—and communities a cleaner future A COMMUNITY-LED project in Pembrokeshire is helping tackle one of the most overlooked threats to Welsh marine life: abandoned fishing gear. Recycle Môr, run by Sea Trust Wales as part of the Natur am Byth! programme, is working to reduce the environmental and economic impact of End of Life (EoL) fishing gear—nets, ropes, and other equipment discarded at sea or in harbours. These 'ghost gear' items can continue to kill wildlife for years. A single net is estimated to kill 500,000 invertebrates, 1,700 fish, and four seabirds. Lloyd Nev Kev at Abercastle Harbour with Recycle Mor Bin (Image: Recycle Môr) The problem is especially acute in small harbours, which often lack waste facilities for commercial fishers—and where recycling options are virtually non-existent. Recycle Môr provides a simple but effective solution: bright, accessible recycling bins placed in small harbours where fishers can dispose of their old gear for free. The scheme also encourages retrieval of marine litter spotted at sea. Once collected, the gear is sent for specialist recycling and transformed into practical items such as sunglasses, litter pickers, bag hoops, and knives. Recycle Mor Bin in Abercastle Harbour (Image: Recycle Môr) Lloyd Nelmes, Project Officer for Sea Trust and the developer of Recycle Môr, said: 'Fishing gear is made from incredibly durable materials that can take hundreds, even thousands, of years to break down. Dumping it in landfill—or worse, at sea—is both wasteful and damaging. We're tackling that by making recycling easy, visible, and community-driven.' Launched as a small-scale pilot, Recycle Môr has grown rapidly. In under four years, over 10 tonnes of fishing gear have been recycled thanks to the participation of local fishing communities. But with success comes a new challenge. The demand has outpaced funding. Without further support, the project may have to scale back. There are currently nine bins in use across small Pembrokeshire harbours, emptied daily by Sea Trust staff and volunteers. But the cost of maintaining the network is rising. 'If we can't cover basic costs—materials, collection, and transport—we may have to remove bins altogether,' Nelmes said. 'That would be a huge step backwards for the communities and the coastline.' Additional funding would not only secure existing operations but also support the project's long-term ambition: to expand Recycle Môr across coastal communities throughout Wales. Lloyd and Chris with Recycle Mor Bin at Tenby Harbour (Image: Recycle Môr)
Pembrokeshire Herald
03-05-2025
- General
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Recycle Môr: Turning the tide on ghost gear in Wales' small harbours
Sea Trust project gives abandoned fishing nets a second life—and communities a cleaner future A COMMUNITY-LED project in Pembrokeshire is helping tackle one of the most overlooked threats to Welsh marine life: abandoned fishing gear. Recycle Môr, run by Sea Trust Wales as part of the Natur am Byth! programme, is working to reduce the environmental and economic impact of End of Life (EoL) fishing gear—nets, ropes, and other equipment discarded at sea or in harbours. These 'ghost gear' items can continue to kill wildlife for years. A single net is estimated to kill 500,000 invertebrates, 1,700 fish, and four seabirds. Lloyd Nev Kev at Abercastle Harbour with Recycle Mor Bin (Image: Recycle Môr) The problem is especially acute in small harbours, which often lack waste facilities for commercial fishers—and where recycling options are virtually non-existent. Recycle Môr provides a simple but effective solution: bright, accessible recycling bins placed in small harbours where fishers can dispose of their old gear for free. The scheme also encourages retrieval of marine litter spotted at sea. Once collected, the gear is sent for specialist recycling and transformed into practical items such as sunglasses, litter pickers, bag hoops, and knives. Recycle Mor Bin in Abercastle Harbour (Image: Recycle Môr) Lloyd Nelmes, Project Officer for Sea Trust and the developer of Recycle Môr, said: 'Fishing gear is made from incredibly durable materials that can take hundreds, even thousands, of years to break down. Dumping it in landfill—or worse, at sea—is both wasteful and damaging. We're tackling that by making recycling easy, visible, and community-driven.' Launched as a small-scale pilot, Recycle Môr has grown rapidly. In under four years, over 10 tonnes of fishing gear have been recycled thanks to the participation of local fishing communities. But with success comes a new challenge. The demand has outpaced funding. Without further support, the project may have to scale back. There are currently nine bins in use across small Pembrokeshire harbours, emptied daily by Sea Trust staff and volunteers. But the cost of maintaining the network is rising. 'If we can't cover basic costs—materials, collection, and transport—we may have to remove bins altogether,' Nelmes said. 'That would be a huge step backwards for the communities and the coastline.' Additional funding would not only secure existing operations but also support the project's long-term ambition: to expand Recycle Môr across coastal communities throughout Wales. Lloyd and Chris with Recycle Mor Bin at Tenby Harbour (Image: Recycle Môr)
