Ocean cleanup with Captain Paul Watson Foundation and Seashell

A COLLABORATIVE MISSION FOR THE OCEAN

Project One Wave in Scotland kicked off last month and Behaviour Change Cornwall’s founders were called in to help with the mission to clean the island of Little Cumbrae.

Seashell and Captain Paul Watson Foundation– formerly known as Neptune’s Pirates – created Project One Wave to unite the most dedicated ocean conservation groups, businesses, creatives, and policymakers to collaborate on marine debris cleanup efforts in Scotland.

Shop the Project One Wave bracelet made from ghost fishing net recovered from Little Cumbrae by the Captain Paul Watson, Seashell, Behaviour Change Cornwall and many eco activists team!

The Behaviour Change Cornwall team was asked to join forces with 30 plus participants on this epic beach clean on the remote island of Little Cumbrae. On the 21st of May 2025 we pooled our knowledge, resources, and passion into this project.

On arrival to Little Cumbrae, located on the lowlands of Scotland near Inverkip and not too far from Glasgow we were greeted by porpoises, common and grey seals, all of which was our aim to protect.

Our main goal was to recover as mush discarded fishing gear as possible as this is designed to kill. Pollution poses extreme harm to marine mammals, with around 300,00 becoming entangled in ghosts nets every year. This pollution contaminates their waters, blocks their digestive tracts and entangles them to their death.

Being on an island near Glasgow meant we however, found a plethora of different types of plastic, lots of it single use plastic that has been flushed down the toilet like cotton buds and tampon applicators. We also found lots of bottles and their lids, kids toys, food packaging, nurdles and of course ghost fishing gear.

From the other participants with their knowledge on unique challenges ocean plastic posits in Scotland we learnt many challenges we face are universal (ghost nets for one!) but that many specifics issues are different.

From discussions with Dr Lauren Smith (EGCP – East Grampian Coastal Partnership), Kerrie Flockhart (Scottish Coastal Clean Up), Vicki Last (Scottish Islands Federation), Eden Wilmott and Nic Coombey (Solway Firth Partnership) we were able to learn what specific plastics are the biggest problems for wildlife and clean up in their respective areas of the UK and which are currently posing the biggest challenge.

Together, we removed enough plastic from this remote beach to fill an entire boat, the Selkie, a former military Landing Craft Vehicle. Its shallow draft allowed access to the remote beach, while the bow ramp facilitated efficient debris collection.

Part of Captain Paul Watson Foundation and Neptunes Pirates UK Fleet – the Selkie is built for durability and capable of carrying heavy loads, and therefore now the Selkie is ideally suited for ghost gear recovery and shoreline cleanups.

Once back on shore the Behaviour Change Cornwall team and other volunteers got to sorting over a tonne of plastic we recovered for recycling and repurposing. We took nets and plastic to recycle back in Cornwall which we will transform into new products to ensure it never ends up in the sea again. Shop our exclusive Project One Wave ghost net bracelet.

Throughout we’d been discussing the challenges we all face in recycling and repurposing ocean plastic – and the solutions we’d each come to. We met fellow reimaginers of waste in Elena Paolini (Vivienne Westwood), Andy McVicar (Green Hive Nairn), Ally Mitchell (Ocean Plastic Pots), Amy Britton (Britton Scotland), Caitlin (Plastic Shed) and communicators in Rachel Brooks Art (Illustrator), Francesca Busca (Artist), Mandy & Bettie Barker (Photographic Artists), Lynne Lambourne (Sustainability Communicator), Laura Young (Science Communicator). Meeting and discussing with all these amazing people helps us imagine new ways to see waste!