Moray paddleboarders tackle tide of waste in river clean-up
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A SQUAD of Moray paddleboarders set out to tackle the tide of plastic waste at Lossiemouth estuary this weekend – returning with 18 large sacks of rubbish.
The team of nine from Moray Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) Club said they could easily have filled another 18 bags if time and space on boards had allowed yesterday, September 27, during their litter-pick organised in support of the national Surfers Against Sewage Big Beach Clean.
Armed with bags and gloves provided by Surfers Against Sewage and litter-pickers loaned from Moray Council, the team set out on their paddleboards from East Beach Bridge, paddling up the estuary to collect as much rubbish as they could from the River Lossie's banks and beyond.
Two hours later they returned with the tide, their boards laden with rubbish-filled sacks – along with large polystyrene blocks, a gas canister, a fire extinguisher, car tyres, a traffic cone and even car body parts.
One of the club's founder members, Jacqui Longrigg (48), an RAF reservist, said: "Our club members recognise how privileged they are to have so many beautiful areas in Moray to paddle in and are very keen to play their part in ensuring that the environment is cared for."
Jacqui said plastic made up the bulk of the waste, along with glass bottles and food wrappers.
She added: "Whilst it is very sad to see so much plastic waste in our environment, it is very heartening to know people care enough to do something about it."
The club hopes to incorporate regular litter picks at its Saturday morning sessions when using the estuary.
Members also thanked Moray Council for arranging collection of the bags.
Local paddle-boarding enthusiasts put themselves through British Canoeing coaching and leadership awards to be able to set up the Moray SUP Club in April. The club has caught a wave of enthusiasm for the sport in Moray, with a healthy membership of 70, and is the first in Scotland to be affiliated with the Scottish Canoe Association.
