Fighting For The Future In Maldon

The ancient town of Maldon is rich in history and most of it derives from its position on the Blackwater Estuary. Like many waterways, the estuary is facing the challenges of pollution, but Petra Hornsby speaks to someone prepared to take on the challenge

- Petra Hornsby

ONCE a thriving working port and Saxon settlement, Maldon became a desirable location high on the Vikings’ hit list and, in 991 following a fierce battle, the locals were overpowered by the Norse warriors. It’s positioned on the Blackwater Estuary, which joins the Thames and was once vital for sending cargo to and from London, but like many rivers and waterways in Britain, the estuary is facing growing challenges from pollution.

As a society, we have a problem with waste and although many of us work hard to recycle packaging materials and other unwanted items thoughtfully, much will still end up in hedgerows, fields and, perhaps more worryingly, rivers and oceans. It would seem that marine life is suffering and now research has revealed that waste plastics could well be in danger of affecting human health too.

Estimates of the amount of plastics dumped in oceans stand at around 8 million tons every year and with the amount of plastic being produced rising (by 38% from 2004 to 2014) the problem is at a critical point.

A recent study carried out by scientists at Ghent University has estimated that those who enjoy their shellfish could be eating up to 11,000 plastic fragments in their seafood every year and, in 2016, a report by Plymouth University concluded that plastic was found in a third of fish caught off the coast of the UK.

The race is on to raise awareness of the problem so that people can take action and one organisation, the Marine Education and Research Institute (MERI), is bringing its clean-up campaign to local shores, encouraging local youngsters to get involved and be the future guardians of the Blackwater.