Large quantity of shock tube washed up
MORE than 1,000 pieces of shock tube have been washed up on Guernsey’s shores since the start of November, beachcombers have said.
Initially it was feared that the pieces were explosive detonation cord, but it was soon identified as less dangerous shock tube.
Beachcombers in Guernsey have been finding an abundance of the tube, mostly along the south coast.
Pieces of the tube have been found on local shores before but never on this scale.
‘It’s the most pronounced littering event of this plastic on Guernsey,’ said volunteer beach cleaner Richard Lord.
The tube is used to transmit charges to underwater explosives, often used in dredging projects and coastal defences where it is shredded and laid onto boulders.
One suspicion as to the source of the litter is the possibility of coastal work in France, where boulders used may not be properly cleaned, leaving the tube to come off in the sea and wash up on beaches.
Bailiwick Law Enforcement said the substance was low risk to humans.
But littering events of this size have a huge impact on wildlife and can cause entanglement and intestinal blockage.
Volunteer beachcomber Wendy Le Prevost has found a large amount of the tubing.
‘The plastic pollution in our seas is having a huge impact on our environment and people’s health,’ she said.
Reports of this tube washing up on shores has been noted all over the world in places such as Cape Cod, Brighton and Nova Scotia.
The tube in Brighton is thought to be from the same incident that has brought it over to Guernsey, something that would not be surprising after a Guernsey food caddy washed up just off the coast of Brighton last year.
Islanders are encouraged to take pictures of any debris they find on the beach and upload it to local beachcomber Facebook group ‘Found on the Beach in Guernsey’ to help combat the issues that arise from littering.
‘People can be early warning systems,’ said Mr Lord.
