What action it is taking to reduce marine litter in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is tackling marine litter with actions detailed in our Marine Litter Strategy, which aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. Our Strategy and action plan was last refreshed in September 2022 and focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets. The Strategy drives forward our work and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem.Our many actions to prevent litter include: working across the four nations to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic, with legislation laid before the Scottish Parliament on 12 February 2026; improving the management of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy; and developing international solutions to prevent microplastic pollution in the form of plastic pellets, often known as nurdles. Litter removal actions include: funding the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme, to assist the correct disposal of litter caught in fishing nets; and funding the Keep Scotland Beautiful Upstream Battle project, preventing and removing litter along rivers which could ultimately end up in the marine environment.