Anna Lo MLA said: “Our picturesque beaches are being blighted by litter. I think the public will be shocked that Tidy NI found over 4,000 items of rubbish per kilometre. I hope this survey will encourage people not to litter.
“As we look to attract visitors to Northern Ireland, we do not want them to see litter strewn across our beaches.
“I would urge people to pick up their rubbish when they are visiting our beaches. Let’s not spoil the beautiful scenery for others. Councils must also do more to ensure that there are an adequate number of bins on our beaches.
“The survey also revealed that there was a lot of litter from boats that was washed ashore, so I would encourage sailors to secure all items to prevent them being lost overboard and ending up as rubbish on our beaches.”
ENDS