Battle is on to keep waters of the Tay clean

The Upstream Battle campaign to clean up our oceans and tackle the threat of marine litter has arrived on the banks of the Tay.

It is an 18-month programme to raise awareness, change behaviours and protect the marine environment.

Volunteers from Perthshire have already been working to protect the pristine waters at Aberfeldy.

Ahead of the campaign’s official launch in Dundee, they spoke about why they are supporting the Upstream Battle on the Tay campaign.

Among the volunteers was Ross Dempster who runs Beyond Adventure at Aberfeldy.

“The water here is pristine and anything that gets left is noticeable,” he said.

“We organise litter picks quite a lot. We’ve found all sorts – beer cans, crisp packets, plastic bags and traffic cones.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful is running the campaign.

According to the organisation, 80% of marine litter starts off on land.

It gets washed into gutters and blown into streams and rivers.

An estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea each year.

That’s the equivalent of a truck full of litter a minute.

A major issue facing the Tay in Perthshire is the scourge of dirty camping.

Mr Dempster warned that irresponsible campers who walk away leaving rubbish and discarded equipment at beauty spots are an environmental hazard.

Dumped waste at the riverbank can end up in the river. This is more likely to happen if water levels rise after heavy rainfall.

“When the rivers flood up, anything left at the side of the river gets washed away.”

Also turning up to help was holidaymaker Hugh Davidson, 49.

A regular visitor to Perthshire, he had travelled all the way from Bermuda.

Mr Davidson has a special interest in protecting the oceans from plastic pollution.

He works in environmental protection in Bermuda and takes parts in beach clean-ups.

“All the cigarette butts, plastic bottles – everything – that ends up in the river will end up in the ocean,” he said.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is recruiting 10 volunteer “anchor groups” along the length of the Tay to monitor their local waters.

Groups will pick and survey litter found along their shorelines.

The data gathered will provide an insight into the types of litter found in the water – all of which has the potential to reach the wider marine environment.

The campaign’s main aim is to highlight how litter gets from rivers to the marine environment, and explore how people can prevent it getting there.

Mr Davidson said the more people involved in protecting rivers and seas the better.

“You need a lot of people doing a little,” he added.

LONG TASK: The Upstream Battle will last for 18 months. Picture by Mhairi Edwards.