It was a privilege to attend the Project One Wave Summit last week, and be energised by the exciting collaborations and good work going on across Scotland and beyond. It was a particular honour to speak alongside Catherine Gemmell of the Marine Conservation Society and share the findings from the many beach litter surveys carried out across the Scottish islands by all the dedicated volunteer surveyors. Their commitment has been invaluable in allowing us to begin filling a critical data gap and to highlight the distinct challenges that marine litter presents for island communities.
We were also pleased to introduce our joint initiative on fishing and aquaculture litter made possible with the support of the Depeche Mode x Hublot x Conservation Collective partnership and we remain deeply grateful to the Highland and Island Environment Foundation and Crown Estate Scotland for their continued support.
The Summit reaffirmed a clear reality: marine debris is a global challenge far beyond the capacity of any single organisation to solve. It brought together some great people, sparked promising conversations, and set the groundwork for meaningful collective action. There is much still to do, but the commitment shown by everyone involved is inspiring. Together, we can help turn the tide on marine litter.
Photo: Violet Fraser, Sustainably Spectrum; Catherine Gemmell (Marine Conservation Society), Tarbh, Vicki Last (Scottish Islands Federation), Kerrie Flockhart (Scottish Coastal Clean Up) with Tarbh na Muraige – SIF’s very own Flotsam Bull at the Project One Wave Summit.