Truckloads of stinking algae removed after complaints

● ‘Significant’ seaweed build-up near tourist trail

Lorryloads of algae have been taken from one of Scotland’s prettiest coastlines and dumped in landfill amid complaints from holidaymakers and locals about the stench.

Fife Council has been removing vast swathes of seaweed which has been causing a stink after piling up along the East Neuk at popular beaches and harbours.

The council, which revealed that it spends thousands of pounds each year shifting seaweed along the northeast shoreline, hired a digger and a truck after what it said was a “significant” build-up at the tourist trail villages of Anstruther and Cellardyke.

But conservationists and seaweed harvesters said there was no need to remove the algae and doing so risked harming coastal ecosystems and the environment which attracted visitors to the area.

However, officials said that, if the tides left large quantities of kelp and other types of seaweed for more than a few days, they had to consider taking it away because it posed an environmental hazard which could lead to complaints about the smell and flies.

Rotting seaweed has also been reported in France to produce a potentially deadly toxic gas as it decomposes, although the council stressed that that had never been an issue along the Fife coast.

A spokesman said: “Our harbours and beaches along the coast can become overwhelmed with significant amounts of seaweed.

“We have recently cleared both Anstruther and Cellardyke harbours. The seaweed is taken to a local landfill site fordisposal.unfortunatelyit’s not possible to recycle or compost the seaweed as it becomes contaminated with other materials at sea.”

Harbourmasters monitor seaweed levels daily, check- ing for volumes of “more than two lorryloads”, which must be reported if they have been present for three days. All build-ups deemed of concern should be removed within three weeks under council policy.

The council said it had not costed the latest clean-up but a similar exercise in January cost around £7000, with clearups typically done about four times a year.

But the Marine Conservation Society said seaweed should preferably be “left on the beach” because it was an essential part of the ecosystem. It decomposed quickly, the charity added, and marine debris could be removed from it relatively easily by hand.