Strategy to address marine pollution

The effects of marine litter on fragile and irreplaceable ecosystems can be catastrophic, killing birds, fish and shellfish and choking plant life. Water UK has been appointed to a new group, set up by the Marine Conservation Society, to help tackle marine litter and pollution and coordinate the UK response to the European Commission's review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in 2014.

The group includes representatives from Defra, Environment Agency and stakeholders, including Keep Britain Tidy and Surfers Against Sewage. It aims to take action on reducing marine litter by sharing knowledge and information across different sectors, searching for innovative ways of working and enabling collaboration and ongoing partnerships among stakeholders.

There will be a summit in June for the group to report on progress and set out next steps.

Sarah Mukherjee