The Isle of Man was praised in the Guardian newspaper this week for the steps taken to clean up its beaches and countryside.

In a piece entitled ’A Sea Change: how one small island showed us how to save our oceans’, Sandra Laville explores how the island has in 10 years cleaned its beaches and achieved Unesco biosphere status.

In the article, Bill Dale, the founder of Beach Buddies, said how, in 2007, he and a friend decided to clean one beach, which took six weekends.

Since then, Bill has recruited an army of volunteers, with more than 10,000 people, about 12% of the population, known to have volunteered.

Bill said children had come with schools and then wanted to go back with their parents.

The Guardian story also highlights the work done by marine biologist Dr Fiona Gell, with the creation of marine protected areas.

In 2011, the island’s waters had just two protected areas. It now has 10, making up more than 50% of our inshore waters. Dr Gell said that sea grass bed, horse mussel reefs and maerl beds were again thriving.

There is also praise for the island’s fishing industry.

The Guardian said: ’While in many areas the fishing industry finds itself at loggerheads with environmentalists, fishing businesses on the Isle of Man - which fish for king and queen scallops, brown crab, lobster and whelk - have been involved in drawing up the protective marine belt around the island.’

Few places show how the changes have improved sea life and levels of fish quite like Ramsey.

Dr David Beard, of the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation, told the Guardian that in 2009, Ramsey Bay had been over-fished and there was very little stock left.

Since the fishing industry volunteered to close the area, levels have started to recover and continue to do so.

Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot MHK said: ’This article lauds the Isle of Man as a global leader in marine conservation.

’From tackling the scourge of plastic on our shores and in our seas with Beach Buddies, to measures to ensure fishing in our waters is sustainable, our creation of new marine nature reserves, and our status as a Unesco biosphere region.

’We all have much to be proud of through a range of initiatives that have so wonderfully captured the imaginations and stirred the passions of our island community.’