After warm weather granted me my first sea swim of 2017, I was pleased to join fantastic campaign group Surfers Against Sewage as they kick-started the great beach spring clean on our shoreline.
The group is taking on the estimated eight tonnes of plastic, sewage and other debris that washes up on our beaches each year.
More than 80 amazing volunteers were out on Hove seafront helping to litter pick, collecting everything from plastic bottles to clothes.
In a few hours over 70kg of waste was collected. It’s frightening to think just how much more rubbish must lie off our city’s coastline.
While our beach may be widely known for its piers, I’m proud Greens pushed for the area to be recognised as a designated United Nations “Biosphere”.
This recognises our international importance as a place that promotes the relationship between people and nature.
According to the Marine Conservation Society our coast is also home to rare, deep-water rocky habitats and reefs.
Sadly studies show the growing threat our marine environment faces from pollution and litter.
Traces of plastic are now found in almost a third of fish caught off British coastlines and alarmingly statistics suggest there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.
Plastics don’t just damage the environment though: littering costs all of us billions a year.
Although the government has unveiled a welcome new litter strategy, it fails to take the radical action that is needed.
As many of the regulations that protect our water have come from the European Union, Greens will be pushing the government to honour environmental protection laws and take them even further as Brexit continues.
I’m pushing the council to implement a water refill scheme because at a local level we can reduce plastic usage and prevent it entering the sea.
Even a seemingly harmless plastic straw is a huge problem. You can take the #StrawsAreForSuckers pledge at plasticfreepledge.com.
There is no doubt that the beach is a unique part of our lives in Brighton and Hove. We must fight for it to be safe for both human and marine life alike.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty is the convenor of the Green group on Brighton and Hove City Council.
@Phelim – you state “I’m proud Greens pushed for the area to be recognised as a designated United Nations “Biosphere”
Please can you explain what a biosphere actually is? What is the difference between being inside or outside a biosphere? Why did the Green led council waste £70,000 to get the biosphere designation in the first place?
I also understand that they want to change the term to “The Living Coast” – why?
The previous incapable and incompetent Green Council squandered £75,000 of Council Tax-payers money in a bid for Brighton to become a ‘One People and Planet Biosphere Diversity City’.
Any Green supporters care to comment on exactly what the hell that is?
How on earth can the Green Party and Phelim Mac Cafferty claim to be environmentalists? The Forestry Commisoon threatened to apply for a legal injunction to stop the previous Green council from cutting-down so many trees in Brighton!