IN A BID to save the seas from the impact of marine litter, an underwater clean-up recently took place just off the Pembrokeshire coast.

World Animal Protection funded the Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners (NARC) dive at Dale Marina to clear the area of lost lobster pots and other fishing litter.

Despite visibility of only one meter, divers brought up 13 lobster pots, as well as a tangle of netting underwater that led them to a one-tonne mass of discarded commercial lines.

David Jones, NARC Secretary, said: “Getting the net on board proved to be a challenge due to its weight and size.

" A huge collaborative effort including Derek Rees in the boat ‘Island Trader’ and Greg Morgan, the RSPB warden on Ramsey Island finally saw us get the whole tangle on board.

"Huge thanks to everyone who helped in what was one of NARC's biggest ever hauls."

Christina Dixon, Sea Change campaigner from World Animal Protection said: "Our Sea Change campaign aims to end the presence of ghost fishing gear, like lost lobster pots and ghost nets, blighting our sea.

"It is amazing these volunteers dedicate their time to collect this huge net and make our waters a safer place for the animals and divers.”

NARC, which celebrates its tenth year this year, is made up of voluntary divers with a passion for keeping the underwater environment in Pembrokeshire as pristine as it should be, working to ensure this vibrant marine habitat remains enjoyable for animals and marine users alike.

It has been working in collaboration with local fishermen to locate and retrieve pots lost during the storms earlier this year to limit their impact on local biodiversity. When abandoned, or lost at sea, lobster pots become traps for marine life who, after entering the pot are unable to escape, eventually dying and become bait themselves.

This process of ‘ghost fishing’ has a significant impact on the sustainability of local fisheries and biodiversity.

So far in 2015 NARC has collected 75 pots in collaboration with local fishermen and hope to make it a round 100 by the end of the season.

World Animal Protection is keen to hear from anyone who has collected ghost gear so that they can track it on a map of the UK. Divers, beach goers, hikers or surfers can all assist by taking a quick photo of the marine litter they find and posting it to their Sea Change website.

Anyone wishing to join NARC as part of their ocean clean-up crew can visit www.narc-cc.org.uk.