The aim of the Fishing For Litter projects is to clear the sea of litter. Rubbish that is trawled up as part of normal fishing activities is disposed of on land and this is achieved by providing large hardwearing bags to the boats so the waste can be easily collected and deposited on the quayside. Scotland's fishermen, who take part in the project voluntarily, are already reporting the benefits of fishing in cleaner seas having removed 117 tonnes of litter from the seabed. The successful project has been operating in a network of 15 harbours in different parts of Scotland allowing the 110 registered fishing vessels to land and collect new bags since 2005.

The project benefits both the environment and the fishing industry, as well as causing problems to wildlife such as seabirds, through entanglement and swallowing, marine debris can cause damage to fishing gear and catches.

Despite many programmes and initiatives and legislation to reduce marine litter it remains one of the most significant environmental problems yet to be addressed and affects the marine environment on a worldwide scale. Around 20,000 tonnes is dumped into the North Sea alone every year. Of that, 70 per cent sinks to the seabed, 15 per cent floats on the surface and 15 per cent washes up on beaches. Currently only the proportion that washes ashore is targeted by cleanup and awareness campaigns.

Plastic, the predominate type of marine litter, can cause entanglement or be ingested by marine mammals and birds killing 100,000 and 1,000,000 respectively world wide each year. Studies as part of the Save the North Sea project showed that 96 pper cent of fulmars in the North Sea had plastics in their stomachs and a recent study by Plymouth University has highlighted the abundance of microscopic plastic fragments in the marine environment. KIMO has also shown the cost to the fishing industry of marine litter, which can be up to £30,000 per boat each year through contamination of catches, broken gear and fouled propellers.

The 2005-08 scheme was supported by the generous sponsorship of SNH, The Crown Estate, The Scottish Executive, Shetland Enterprise, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar/Western Isles Council and Aberdeenshire Council. The 2008-11 scheme is sponsored by SNH, The Crown Estate, The Scottish Government, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar/Western Isles Council , Aberdeenshire Council, The Highland Council, Total UK, Peterson SBS, and The Fisherman's Trust. The project also benefits from the time given to the project by the staff at all the participating harbours.

Joanna Strathdee KIMO UK chairwoman, stated: 'We are delighted that the project is receiving such high profile recognition and we hope that this project, pioneered by Scottish Fishermen, can become a UK wide funded project in the future.

In supporting the project Mr Lochhead stated: 'As the Scottish government prepares to launch its landmark Marine Bill next year, it is absolutely vital that we have cleaner, greener seas. Fishing for Litter is an imaginative yet simple initiative, successfully reducing marine litter with the involvement of the fishing industry. I am very pleased that the Scottish government has been able to support the project. I wish it every success for the future.'

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