Eggcase hunting on Machrihanish beach

Foul weather did not deter 44 children from Dalintober and Drumlemble Primaries who took part in an Easter beach clean and eggcase hunt on Machrihanish beach this week, in fact it left them wanting more.

The event was organised by the GRAB Trust’s (Group for Recycling in Argyll and Bute) Beaches and Marine Litter Project and the Argyll and Bute Beach Forum in conjunction with James Thorburn of the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN) and Jane Dodd of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

James works on SSACN’s Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (www.tagsharks.com), a programme funded by SNH and the Argyll and the Islands LEADER programme.

Using materials developed by the Shark Trust for their ‘Great Eggcase Hunt’, James teamed up with the GRAB Trust to help the children understand more about the sharks, skates and rays that are in Scottish waters and get them looking for eggcases on the beach whilst undertaking the beach clean.

As well as finding numerous eggcases of small spotted cat sharks (Scyliorhinus canicula) the pupils also managed to collect over 10kg of litter.

Keep Scotland Beautiful (www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org) kindly provided funding for the purchase of equipment and transport for this event through their Litter Grant scheme.

For more information on the GRAB Trust’s Beaches and Marine litter project and the Argyll and Bute Beach Forum please visit www.grab.org.uk and if If anyone is interested in helping with the eggcase hunts or would like more information, James can be contacted at sharkman@ssacn.org

Category: Other Organisations