News
Finalist - RSPB Nature of Scotland Award
September 2024
We are thrilled to announce our project ‘ Island Communities Pushing Back the Marine Litter Tide’ has been shortlisted for the RSPB Nature of Scotland Award in the Coasts and Waters category!
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The Scottish Islands Federation have been turning the tide on marine litter through their extensive efforts to plug the information gap on the scale of the problem on Scottish Island beaches, providing vital evidence to support urgent action to mitigate its detrimental impacts on island communities, wildlife and habitats.​​
SIF recognised that when beach litter was being discussed it was not reflecting the volumes and type of marine litter impacting island communities. Through working with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) we sought to give island communities a louder voice by gathering data through an internationally agreed methodology. SIF members have worked hard to complete as many marine litter surveys as possible to build a robust dataset to evidence the need for specific action to reduce the distinct types of marine litter washing up on their beaches.
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Thanks to the efforts of SIF membership, 156 island surveys were submitted to the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch programme in 2023, an increase of over 148% in the amount of surveys from across the Scottish Islands compared to 2022! Results showed that island surveys encountered roughly double the abundance of litter items than did the mainland surveys and also evidenced the significant contribution marine industries make to the island litter complement. This highlights the importance of specific actions to address the main sources of litter that are impacting island coastlines.
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Quarterly surveys are on-going, and we are keen to hear from any individuals or groups who are interested in getting involved.
“It is a great honour for SIF to have been shortlisted for this award and it is down to the dedication of our dedicated Marine Litter Development Officers and all of the volunteers who have contributed tirelessly to the island surveys. Their phenomenal efforts in collecting, quantifying, and removing tens of thousands of litter items from beaches across the Scottish Islands have provided crucial evidence to inform effective mitigation strategies and enhance conservation efforts. This recognition is a testament to their dedication and ongoing hard work, and it is wonderful to see their contributions celebrated in this way. We also owe our thanks firstly for nominating us and secondly for their technical assistance and advice to Marine Conservation Society, it has been a great example of partnership working and also to our main funders Scottish Government, Crown Estates Scotland and Highlands and Islands Environment Fund for making the project financially viable.” David Herriot, chair of the Marine Litter Working Group for SIF.
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‘Island Communities Pushing Back the Marine Litter Tide’ was announced as a finalist at the Nature of Scotland Awards Shortlist Reception held at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by Graham Simpson MSP and sponsored by Suntory Global Spirits.
The winners of all 10 categories will be revealed at a celebratory event held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on the 28 November, where the 53 finalists will gather. RSPB Scotland has been running the awards for over a decade, and is grateful for the support of our many supporters and sponsors including our 2024 headline sponsor NatureScot. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by BBC Landward presenters and nature enthusiasts Dougie Vipond and Arlene Stuart.
The Nature of Scotland Awards recognise individuals and organisations making a difference across local communities, schools, and businesses to support Scotland’s wildlife and natural environment.
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Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland said:
“The Nature of Scotland Awards shine a light on people and projects going that extra mile to make a difference for nature in their local communities. Every year it is a privilege to hear the inspiring stories of people coming together to protect species and improve spaces for nature - we can’t tackle the nature and climate crisis alone. A huge thank you to all of our applicants for sharing their tremendous work with us. The awards ceremony is such a special evening, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone in November.”
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Professor Colin Galbraith, Chair of Awards headline sponsor NatureScot, said:
“Right across Scotland we see people coming together and taking action to protect and restore nature. The efforts of all nominees are reason for great pride. The shortlisted projects for this year's Awards celebrate perfectly what can be achieved through inspiring collaborations that work with nature, build our resilience, and help us tackle the climate-nature crisis."