Following an invitation from the Marine Conservation Society, Samuel Kurtz MS – the Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire – joined the organisation’s representatives for a beach clean on the shores of Tenby’s North Beach recently.

Speaking following the beach clean, Samuel said: “It was incredibly encouraging to meet with the Marine Conservation Society to discuss the work they’re doing to promote and protect marine life off the coast of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. But unfortunately, our discussions were over-shadowed by the substantial amount of microplastics we were finding.”

In total, the team collected over 200 microplastics over a short 100m stretch of beach, highlighting the threat poised to Wales’ aquatic environment.

“We know that microplastics and nanoplastics struggle to breakdown naturally, and this often ends up placing chronic pressures on our environment’s eco-systems,” he continued.

“While recycling has increased, there are still sadly too many single-use plastics or pieces of litter finding their way into our seas. We must work to put a stop to this.

“We should all be doing our bit to champion the importance of marine conservation, but this must be met with serious support from the Welsh Government.

“Given COP26, I would like to see the Welsh Government make a clear commitment to better protecting our seas and wonderful marine animals.”