Gairloch Kayak Centre staff do some Kayak Litter Picking
Fraser, Mickey and Matt, from Gairloch Kayak Centre and Skye Kayak Centre took the opportunity with a few free hours to look after the local environment. Despite the pristine wilderness and waters of the Wester Ross Biosphere, ghost fishing gear is a real problem on the shores and islands of the Highlands. Using two of our fleet of Canadian Canoes the staff team managed to collect abandoned fishing creels, rope and nets. As practitioners of the Leave no Trace principles Highland Experiences is proud of their staff and the positive impact they had on the environment, making it better for all.
The staff went out in the Gair-Loch from Shieldaig Bay where the Gairloch Kayak Centre is based. In the sheltered bay there are many islands dotted around which are the home to herons, terns and even small seal colonies. As the waters are essentially part of the Minch there is a lot of litter which can wash up onto the shores of islands and the mainland alike. The staff are keen to keep and maintain the area as pristine as possible and were disturbed to see how much ghost fishing gear had washed up onto the islands over the winter months. And the Kayak Litter Picking session was born, on a quiet day in April.
Ghost fishing gear is considered the most deadliest form of pollution by charitable organisations like the World Wildlife Fund. Ghost fishing gear consists of ropes, nets, buoys, creels, plastic hooks, metal debris. Ghost fishing gear is lethal for many animals who become trapped in the items, suffocate or even ingest the pollution and die. In the UK there is even a charity Ghost Fishing UK which consists of dedicated volunteers, scuba divers who aim to recover this lost fishing gear. Raising awareness, surveying sights and organising clean ups. We at Highland Experiences, including Gairloch Kayak Centre, Skye Kayak Centre, and Kayak Loch Ness are proud to be making a difference by completing a Kayak Litter Picking session.
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