River Clyde Boom to Net Marine Litter

Glasgow City Council has teamed up with Marine Scotland, SEPA and Peel Ports to deliver a one year pilot project tackling marine pollution.

A boom made of steel mesh panels suspended on floats will be installed across part of the River Clyde to catch debris as it flows towards the sea. The boom will not impede the passage of fish or other wildlife which will be able to swim under and around it. The removal of debris from the water will also improve the wildlife habitat. Rubbish in rivers can release toxic chemicals which can harm fish and other wildlife which can also ingest or get tangled in litter.

The best location for the boom is currently being decided, but it will be below the tidal weir (at Glasgow Green) and will not cross the deepest part of the river channel which is used by boats.

The project aims to capture litter in the river and stop it being swept downstream to places like the Arrochar Litter Sink - a spot where winds and tides deliver large amounts of rubbish, including litter from the Clyde. The foreshore at Arrochar lies at the head of Loch Long, a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde.

Further information is available here - https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29390

(June 2022)