Divers will take to the water to tackle seabed marine litter tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday and contribute to the Marine Conservation Society's annual Beachwatch clean-up weekend.

Beachwatch is timed to coincide with International Coastal Clean-up day, a global event when volunteers from more than 70 countries both clean beaches and the seabed, and record what they find. The yearly international event produces the main worldwide source of information on environmentally damaging marine rubbish. The UK government and the Welsh Assembly both depend on the information to track how much rubbish ends up on our shores, and where it comes from.

Although many groups of volunteers help clean Pembrokeshire's beaches, Neptunes Army of Rubbish Cleaners - NARC - is the only group in Wales to support this worldwide event by collecting rubbish underwater.

NARC plan a clean sweep at Stackpole Quay on Saturday and Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock, on Sunday. The dedicated band of divers anticipate finding shopping trolleys and bicycles as well as bottles, cans and a lot of lost angling line, hooks and weights. They also expect to find and set free wildlife that will be trapped in the litter.

Both of NARC's clean-up sites are in the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, an area of European marine importance specially designated to protect its natural environment and wildlife.

NARC's volunteer divers think that since the SAC deserves protection, it certainly shouldn't be used as a rubbish dump.

"Just because it is out of sight, it is not out of our minds," said Dave Kennard, NARC's organiser. "We're really grateful for sponsorship from the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC and Keep Wales Tidy to help cover the costs of this weekend's clean-ups. And if any more divers want to join us they'd be welcome."

Contact Dave by phone or e-mail from the NARC website http://www.narc-cc.org">www.narc-cc.org.

Landlubbers can get information on how to join a Beachwatch event from http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk">www.adoptabeach.org.uk and read about the international efforts at http://www.oceanconservancy.org">www.oceanconservancy.org.