Ocean Conservation

At Liberty Boat Charter, we’re driven by our dedication to reversing environmental degradation. By collaborating with local organizations, we lead clean up efforts along the Fal and Truro rivers.

Our Mission:
Our commitment is to combat marine litter head-on. Through partnerships with Clean Cornwall’s Blue Litter Project and collaborations with Cornwall Wildlife’s Marine Strandings network,
British Divers Marine Life Rescue, and the Cornwall Seal Research Trust, we offer complimentary trips focused on marine litter picks. you just need to bring your kayak or paddleboard (we do ask for a small contribution of £7 per person towards running costs and your unlimited refreshments whilst on board, without this we just couldn’t run these events so regularly)

Paddle Out for Plastic:
On June 8th, participate in our ‘Paddle Out for Plastic’ event. Bring your kayak, paddleboard, or dinghy to access shorelines for cleanup. Together, we’ll make a tangible impact.

Get Involved:
Want to help us keep Cornwall’s marine spaces clean? Join us, in collaboration with Clean Cornwall , for one of our on-the-water litter picks! We’ll be running litter picks in the Malpas, Truro and Fal River Areas area using boats, kayaks, and paddleboards to help keep our marine spaces litter-free. These events are part of the Blue Litter Project, working to protect and preserve Cornwall’s remote marine areas and the unique wildlife and flora that depend on them. Drop us an email or give us a call to find out more and get involved.

What is the Blue Litter Project?
The Blue Litter Project is a marine litter collection campaign running across Cornwall through the tourist season. It aims to track and collect litter from Cornwall’s remote marine spaces, with collaborations from members of the marine leisure industry, local conservation groups, and volunteers. Clean Cornwall provides support by supplying specialized litter picking equipment, and findings are logged using the Blue Litter Project Hub App, helping identify marine plastic hotspots and types of litter found. Join us in collecting, tracking, and tracing marine litter over the busy tourist season. Together, let’s protect Cornwall’s marine ecosystems for generations to come.

Why is marine litter and especially plastic such a problem to our rivers and ocean?

Marine litter, especially plastic, poses a significant threat to rivers and oceans for several reasons:

 1.  Persistence: Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade, persisting in the environment for a long time. This means once they enter rivers and oceans, they remain there, accumulating and causing harm to marine life.

 2.  Toxicity: Plastics can leach harmful chemicals into the water, posing a threat to marine organisms. These toxins can disrupt hormones, interfere with growth and reproduction, and even cause death in some cases.

 3.  Entanglement: Marine animals such as Seals, seabirds, marine mammals and fish can become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injuries, suffocation, and even death. This is particularly common with items like fishing nets and six-pack rings or frisbee rings.

 4.  Ingestion: Marine creatures often mistake plastic debris for food and ingest it. This can lead to internal injuries, blockages in the digestive system, malnutrition, and ultimately death. Additionally, plastic can accumulate toxins on its surface, further poisoning marine life when ingested.

 5.  Disruption of ecosystems: Plastic pollution can disrupt marine ecosystems by altering habitats, smothering coral reefs, and interfering with the natural balance of ecosystems. This can have cascading effects on entire food webs, ultimately impacting human communities that depend on healthy oceans for food and livelihoods.

Overall, addressing marine litter, particularly plastic pollution, is crucial for the health of rivers and oceans, as well as the well-being of marine life and human communities worldwide