FORTY BAGS of marine litter were removed from Lahinch during a one-hour clean up on Saturday.
Volunteers from all across the county partook in Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Community Clean-ups of Lahinch Beach on Saturday.
An approximate 240kg of litter was collected by the volunteers who joined Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland and removed forty bags of marine litter in an hour.
Clean Coasts established the clean-ups on the Wild Atlantic Way as part of their summertime Enjoy and Protect campaign with support from Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development who support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural and environmental contribution to tourism in Ireland with the events’ overall aim was to raise awareness to keeping our marine and wildlife spaces clean for locals and tourists alike to enjoy and admire.
Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts coastal communities manager explained, “With the summer in full swing, the Wild Atlantic Way is a prime route for both Irish and international tourists alike to explore and with the sunny weather there is no better place to explore in the west than the glorious beaches and coastal landscapes”.
In addition to a clean up and talk, volunteers were asked about the Wild Atlantic Way via a survey to ascertain if they experienced difficulties with the tourism route, their perceived benefits and potential projects to enhance the experience. The suggestions from these surveys will be implemented by both Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland in their future events.
“Initiatives such as this allow for the sharing of ideas and collaboration with our local communities and ensure that they are at the centre of any decision-making around tourism affecting the place where they live,” Fáilte Ireland planning and environment manager, Shane Dineen stated.
