A new campaign urging beach-goers to leave nothing but footprints behind this summer has been launched.
With hundreds of people planning “staycations” and day trips to the seaside in the warmer months ahead, global charity Ocean Conservation Trust and Plymouth Gin have timely released a video to highlight the importance of a healthy ocean.
As part of their campaign to protect the coast, those visiting beaches across the country are urged to pick up five pieces of litter when they leave.
It comes after new research revealed that 71% of the British population is expected to take a long-awaited break at the seaside with three in four people saying the beach “makes them happy”.
However, recent statistics also show that seeing litter strewn across the country’s pure-white sandy beaches is the biggest annoyance for people visiting the coastline.
UN patron of the wilderness Ben Fogle, who provided the voiceover for the awareness video, said: “The beautiful British coastline is shaped by the ocean that supports the rich variety of life on our planet, and I want to keep it that way.
“There are over 100 million beach visits every year – if we all picked up five pieces of litter on every visit, that’s over 500 million less pieces of rubbish on the beach.
“There are some things we can’t control, but we can all do our bit this summer.”
Nicola Bridge, of Ocean Conservation Trust ,added: “The sea makes half of the oxygen that we breathe and drives our weather and climate.
“Even when you can’t see it, it’s a vital part of life – we’re all connected to our ocean in some way.
“With millions of us expected to flock to our coastline this ‘staycation summer’, we’re calling on everyone who goes to do their bit.”