A POPULAR Weymouth attraction has launched a campaign to remind members of the public to protect the UK’s marine life by taking litter home, as bosses release ‘devastating’ footage of a seal pup surrounded by plastic.

Weymouth Sealife has launched the ‘Don’t Make Easter Rubbish’ campaign as a result of the high volume of rubbish that was left on beaches by residents and tourists when lockdown restrictions were eased after the first national lockdown last year.

The campaign is hoping to target anyone who may choose to go the beach over the Easter bank holidays.

Tamsin Mutton McKnight, general manager at Weymouth Sealife, said: “Here at Weymouth Sealife and at all our aquariums across the UK, we’ve witnessed first-hand the worrying effects last year’s restrictions relaxation had on the amount of litter making its way into our waterways.

“By raising awareness with this campaign we hope to stop this happening again, with everyone doing their bit to make a positive difference to marine creatures and their habitats."

“It’s easy to get involved, simply visit the Sealife website for more information and keep an eye on our social media pages where we’ll be sharing updates and tips from our teams on how you can help.”

The Sealife Trust charity works globally to protect the world’s oceans and the marine life that lives within them. Andy Bool, head of the charity, is determined not to see a repeat of the amount of rubbish being left on beaches last year.

He said: “Last year, after restrictions eased, we saw wave after wave of litter and rubbish being left after people began exploring outside again. If left lying around, all this rubbish can make its way into our precious waters, having the devastating effect of polluting the home of thousands of animals and causing immediate danger to life for those caught up in it.

“We are determined to try and prevent it happening again to protect our marine life and habitat – but we can’t do it without the help of people across the UK. We are appealing to everyone to consider marine life before they leave every public space – please take your rubbish with you or put it in a bin. In doing so, you could be saving the lives of precious marine creatures and ecosystems, and preserving them for future generations to come.”

Visit www.visitsealife.com/weymouth/