Motions, questions and answers

The Scottish Government published the updated Marine Litter Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, aiming to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The strategy steers our work up to 2027 and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help prevent and remove marine litter.On prevention, we are working across the four nations to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, with legislation forthcoming. To further our efforts in tackling sewage-related debris, Scottish Water, our delivery partner, has installed more than 1000 new sewer monitors across its waste water system as part of a major programme of investment to transform its network and improve Scotland’s water environment. We contributed to the work of the European Committee for Standardisation to improve the recycling potential of fishing and aquaculture gear, with a standard for circular design of gear published in November 2024. This standard also helps us as we continue to work across the four nations and industry to develop improved waste management systems for end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy. Our work is not limited to macro litter, and we continue to work internationally to prevent pollution from microplastic pellets, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife.On removal, we continue to fund the work of Local Coastal Partnerships, organisations that support and co-ordinate beach cleans and local community engagement. We fund litter removal offshore through the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme, with 400 vessels now participating in Scotland, and removal at our rivers with the Keep Scotland Beautiful Upstream Battle project, removing litter that could otherwise travel downstream and ultimately reach our seas and beaches.Marine Fund Scotland has been available to our delivery partners and external stakeholders for projects that support the delivery of the strategy. Successful applications have supported local community litter removal activities, marine litter education projects, and investment in fishing and aquaculture gear recycling equipment.