Community Drop in events for S Coast MCZs start this week

[Seajet]

Nonetheless, the ' I want to ban boats and have my private beach ' project by the Seahorse Trust - all one of him, trousering misguided public and until recently government donations via bent claims - is the only place where Seahorses were fiddled with, bothered and tagged - and fee paying ' group seahorse dives ' held; and the only place where the little critters seem to have voted with their fins...

 

[colhel]

Studland drop in event next Wednesday then. There's an online petition here, http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savestudlandbay that I've just found posted on the mobo forum.

 

[wizard]

Studland drop in event next Wednesday then. There's an online petition here, http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savestudlandbay that I've just found posted on the mobo forum.

Just signed. Lets hope the number of signatures reaches the target, or higher.

 

[MarlynSpyke]

I just posted the following on the Mobo thread, I think it's worth posting here as well:

It’s good to see this petition: I’ve just signed, and as one of the Boat Owners’ Response Group team, I welcome it and urge as many as possible to make their voices heard.

A very brief explanation about the agencies involved: Natural England (NE) is the government quango which gives official “advice” on MCZ matters, and in BORG’s view it is heavily skewed to a Conservationist perspective. The “advice” is considered by the ministry Defra who decide whether or not to put forward a site for public consultation after which it may, in practice probably will be, designated as a Marine Conservation Zone. If it is, then the Marine Management Organisation is responsible for management measures, eg restrictions on anchoring. They are more down to earth and practical about things, but will still be under the “advice” of NE.

However in the MCZ process, the social and economic consequences of designation can be taken into account. To quote an NE document (http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/150130_...iency_v5_0.pdf ) on previous tranches of MCZ’s:

“Decisions on site suitability were made by Defra based on a balance between the strength of the conservation advantages an MCZ offers relative to the economic and social implications of designation.”

So our approach has been to try to show that the conservation advantages in controlling boat use at Studland Bay would be small or non-existent, and the social (loss of recreational amenity) and financial losses substantial. We’ve made a shot at estimating the value of the leisure marine economy around Poole, see http://boatownersresponse.org.uk/Mar...nomy-Poole.pdf , we get a figure of around £13.5 million a year and we consider that serious restrictions on Studland Bay might mean 10% to 20% of boats being moved elsewhere. Any help in making these estimates more robust would be very welcome.

The social (loss of recreational amenity) loss is hard to quantify, but the more signatures on the petition the more important this aspect becomes. Also, ultimately the government Minister concerned (George Eustice M.P. under Secretary of State Andrea leadsom M.P.) has to sign off the measures, and the more pressure against the better!

It is worth pointing out that this is not just a Studland Bay issue, because the Isle of Wight coastline along the whole of the Solent is also being considered for MCZ status, and most anchorages along that southern coastline of the Solent have eelgrass present, and it is the alleged impact of anchoring on eelgrass which is the critical issue. Studland Bay seems a test case for a much wider area.

Lots more information and ammunition at http://boatownersresponse.org.uk/ .
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?473651-Studland-MCZ#f0h8TDXjmdvEdEtu.99

 

[Colvic Watson]

Good luck to all those attending the event next Wednesday

 

[colhel]

Its a bit too out of my way but I echo the above.