Did they just propose banning anchoring on half the South coast?

[ryanroberts]

Sea fishing banned under plan to protect nation’s marine life

New highly protected marine zones will help save our seas – research

Swathes of UK waters should be off limits to all forms of damaging human activity – including fishing, dredging and anchoring – to improve the health of our oceans, a new report has found.

Around 40% of our seas are already protected, but only from the most damaging activities, meaning they can only return to what ecologists deem “a favourable condition” but not achieve full recovery.

A year-long investigation found increasing the level of protection for some areas would improve biodiversity and help the Government reach its net-zero carbon commitments.

The new “Highly Protected Marine Areas” (HPMAs) – if implemented – would offer total protection for all species and habitats within their boundaries in a bid to return them to pristine condition.

 

[PhillM]

A couple of stand-outs:

Portsmouth harbour ... what about all those massive warships then? Dispensation for the Navy but no fishermen allowed?

Chichester harbour - they cannot mean removing all the moorings, can they? Same for the Fal and Helford rivers.

 

[Seven Spades]

Can some translate it is behind a paywall

 

[Seven Spades]

 

[crewman]

How do you walk or hike in an HPMA?

 

[Seven Spades]

How do you go scuba diving if you can't anchor?

 

[Star-Lord]

I met an English yacht in Ayamonte who was based in the Hamble and had taken a spin south for summer. When I told this boat I was leaving to anchor outside the marina and wait for a favourable tide to Faro I was informed they had never used an anchor in over 7 years and did not know if it the windlass even worked.
I suspect the people with real clout mainly use marinas.

 

[oldharry]

Nothing new here except the Benyon Report has been pulished recommending the next stage of locking down - er sorry conserving our coastal waters. So far about 40% of Coastal Waters are subject to some form of MCZ or MPA, but crticis say these dont go far enough as they only protect specific features or species.

At this point it is just a working report, but watch this space.....

 

[GTom]

How do you walk or hike in an HPMA?

You of little faith...

 

[Catalina36]

Lordy. Something else to be ignored.

 

[oldharry]

Lordy. Something else to be ignored.

... until we wake u one day and find we can no longer enjoy the freedoms enjoyed by generations of sailors. We avoided it narrowly with MCZ's. This latest report is simply the next step along an almost invitable pathway of closing down everything marine in favour of some crab, quahog or sea slug.

 

[Seven Spades]

Unbelievably depressing

 

[Catalina36]

Can anyone imagine this actually being policed and enforced? They can't even enforce the quarantine rules they've just introduced FFS. Who's going to be motoring around Osborne Bay or somesuch, telling people to up-anchor and clear off?

 

[Stemar]

Can anyone imagine this actually being policed and enforced? They can't even enforce the quarantine rules they've just introduced FFS. Who's going to be motoring around Osborne Bay or somesuch, telling people to up-anchor and clear off?

The people who impose fines and get to keep the proceeds?

Remember how essential speed cameras were for our safety until the "Safety Partnerships" didn't get to keep the fines? Half of them disappeared or stopped working almost overnight.

 

[Catalina36]

The people who impose fines and get to keep the proceeds?

Remember how essential speed cameras were for our safety until the "Safety Partnerships" didn't get to keep the fines? Half of them disappeared or stopped working almost overnight.

Once installed, speed cameras need no maintenance and have hundreds or thousands of vehicles a day passing them. I can't see the Cowes HM or plod motoring all the way round to Osborne or Newtown every day or night just to find there's no-one there, or there's one unnamed boat with no registration number who then claims he's had to anchor through fatigue or he'd be a hazard to navigation.

 

[Tiggy]

… or my engine has broken down...

More pie in the sky.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Anchoring was banned in the Bealieu River late last year (citing sea grass but that seems implausible) so it will be instructive to see what happens if/when people start dropping the hook in the lower reaches.

In terms of elsewhere I expect the penalties to be disproportionately high - say £1,000 - so even the remote risk of being caught would act as a deterrent to many.

 

[Carib]

Any RYA response yet? Great to see that 'Personal Watercraft' are green to go, that is a relief.. (sarcasm)

 

[dom]

So, we've left the EU to beat a buccaneering path of freedom and success

Forgetting that our narrow minded, petty-bureaucrats were the cream of the crop

Now free from the encumbrance of competent Government to implement their capricious self-interest

Paid for by taxpayers, whoever they are these days.

"Sorry Sir Francis, that's a £500 fixed penalty for anchoring the Golden Hind there. £250 if paid within 10 days."

It's called progress, so some say.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Once installed, speed cameras need no maintenance and have hundreds or thousands of vehicles a day passing them. I can't see the Cowes HM or plod motoring all the way round to Osborne or Newtown every day or night just to find there's no-one there, or there's one unnamed boat with no registration number who then claims he's had to anchor through fatigue or he'd be a hazard to navigation.

I don't know, both Poole and Portsmouth have no difficulty recruiting retired busybodies for their respective 'Harbour Patrols'. I'm sure there are more than enough similar on the IoW who would jump at the chance to be allowed to issue real fines, especially if they were allowed to wear a uniform (or even just a smart cap with a badge).