A GROUP of more than 22 volunteers helped clear 146kg of waste from a popular Aberystwyth beach at the weekend.

Aberystwyth Beach Buddies, a local environmental group which holds regular litter picking events on all of the town’s beaches, spent Saturday morning and early afternoon scouring Tan y Bwlch beach, which is also a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

More than 22 volunteers of all ages joined in the clean, which led to the collection of 146kg of mostly plastic waste from the beach, including plastic fishing nets, plastic bottles, plastic coffee lids, and plastic printer ink cartridges.

Also joining the group were Liz Prior of the Marine Conservation Society and Chloe Griffiths of Penparcau Community Forum’s wildlife group, who helped discover egg cases which are evidence that four species of ray and catsharks are using the area as a nursing ground.

Unfortunately, evidence of the effects of discarded fishing equipment was also found on the beach as volunteers discovered the body of a seabird tangled in fishing nets.

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