Driftwood Spars Brewery has boosted the coffers of the Cleaner Cornish Seas campaign by more than £4,500 thanks to sales of its popular beers.
A percentage from every sale of the brewery’s Cove range of beers is donated to the campaign, which is run by the Fathoms Free charity. The partnership is helping to clear ghost gear from the Cornish coast.
Some of the cash donated has been matched by Cornwall Council’s Grow Nature Seed Fund, meaning more divers in the water, and more debris removed than ever before.
Head brewer, Mike Mason, said: “Working in this stunning spot, you can’t help but be protective of the precious marine environment. Plus, I’m a keen surfer and Louise is a regular sea swimmer, so we’ve both seen first-hand the sad reality of marine litter.”
Brewery owner, Louise Treseder, added: “Recently, Fathoms Free were called here to the cove. A swimmer had spotted an abandoned fishing pot with 50m of rope attached to it. It was posing a danger to marine life, with dolphins and seals at risk of entanglement, but it was also a hazard for the RNLI vessel which launches regularly from here.
Driftwood Spars head brewer, Mike Mason, sets off for a surf
“At sunrise the next day the dive team were here. They quickly gathered the rope and made the pot safe. It’s great to see our donations being put to work here in our own backyard.”
Luke Bullus, from Fathons Free, said: “The recent donation from the Driftwood Spars Brewery means we can get more divers into the water, removing more ghost gear and marine debris than ever before. We’re extremely grateful for their ongoing support, as it means we can plan ahead and continue to focus our efforts on cleaning up the seas around Cornwall.”
Discarded nets, pots, angling equipment, and other plastic causes severe damage to the marine environment and the death of countless seabirds, seals, dolphins and other sea life. By sharing photos and videos of its work, Fathoms Free is helping to raise awareness of the scale of the problem and disastrous consequences for sea life.
Luke added: “Unfortunately, the reality of ghost gear is often hidden out of sight and away from the public eye. What washes up on our shores is sadly only a tiny fraction of what’s out there.”
