Finding Sanctuary: Planning Marine Conservation Zones in the south-west

[Finding Sanctuary]

The Marine and Coastal Access Act introduces a new national designation for marine protection - Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). MCZs must be identified and designated in the seas around England, to help create a coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012. New Marine Conservation Zones and existing designations including European Marine Sites, Marine Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, will make up the network of marine protected areas.

No Marine Conservation Zones have been proposed yet but recreational boating is one the activities that could be restricted in certain ways by MCZs. For example, anchoring could be restricted within some areas in order to protect certain habitats, or the use of personal watercraft could be restricted seasonally in areas where sensitive wildlife occurs. Therefore it is important that you know how you can influence these decisions now, before they have been made.

Four projects have been set up around England to work with recreational boaters and other sea users to decide where these zones should go and what level of protection they should have. These projects are: Finding Sanctuary in the south-west, Balanced Seas in the south-east, Net Gain for the North Sea and Irish Sea Conservation Zones for the Irish Sea.

In the south-west, Finding Sanctuary has brought together leisure boaters, divers, commercial fishermen, sea anglers, conservationists, scientists and many other marine stakeholders on its Steering Group. Peter Bartlett, from the Royal Yachting Association represents recreational boaters on the Steering Group. The Steering Group is responsible for drawing the lines on maps – deciding where MCZs should be placed and what level of protection they should have. The level of protection given to each MCZ will be decided on a case by case basis. The Steering Group will make its recommendations to Government in June 2011 and the final decision lies with the Ministers.

Beth Henshall, Finding Sanctuary’s recreational boating liaison officer, has recently begun collecting information from recreational boaters about which areas they visit, so that we can create a map of recreational boating activity around the south-west. Accurate information about where you visit in the region is essential. This is the information that your representative on the Finding Sanctuary Steering Group will use to stand up for your interests during the negotiations, with the aim of minimising the impact of MCZs on your activity.

Over the coming months Beth will be engaging as many recreational boaters as possible across the region. As you can imagine, this is a big undertaking for one person, so it has been necessary to start in one location and work methodically along the coastline. Consequently, her work recently began in the wider Plymouth area, and has started to move around the coastline towards the Yealm, Salcombe and Dartmouth areas. Please be assured that all of the coastline of the southwest will be covered, but it may be that the focus of research does not reach your local area until the New Year. She is approaching as many clubs, sea schools, training centres, charter companies, sailing charities, marinas, mooring associations, boat yards, and dry storage locations as possible, to let them know about the project, and ask them to inform their customers/students/members. As well as direct engagement with leisure boaters, over the coming months we will submit articles to key boating publications as well as newsletters sent by marinas, yacht havens, dry storage, mooring associations and estuary forums to make sure people know about how they can get involved.

If you are a recreational boater using the sea in the south-west, we are asking you to share your information about which areas of sea are important to you.

There are three ways you can do this:
1. Visit our Interactive Map
2. Contact Finding Sanctuary’s recreational boating liaison officer, Beth Henshall at beth.henshall@southwestfoodanddrink.com who will meet with you and help you to map the areas which are important to you.
3. Join us at one of our drop in days around the south-west over the next few months for more information, to ask questions or record the sea areas you use on our maps. New dates and venues for drop in days are being added frequently and are detailed on the News section of our website.

We will try to check back here from time to time, but if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns please get in touch with us directly.

South-west
Finding Sanctuary
Email: info@finding-sanctuary.org
Tel: 01392 878 340

If you want to contact any of the other regional projects their details are below.

South-east
Balanced Seas
Email: balancedseas@kent.ac.uk
Tel: 01227 827 839

North Sea
Net Gain
Email: dani@yhsg.co.uk
Tel: 01482 382 007

Irish Sea
Irish Sea Conservation Zones
Email: info@irishseaconservation.org.uk
Tel: 01925 813 200

 

[SimonJ]

Another QUANGO job?

Yet more busy, busy work popping out of yet more big brother legislation?
Who is funding this?
Is this REALLY needed?

 

[Cerddinen]

Yet another appalling waste of time and money. An entire industry has now been constructed to identify conservation zones so that the killjoys can make life as difficult as possible for those who simply want to engage in the innocent pleasure of sailing. It is pre-ordained that there will be conservation zones so all the yacht clubs etc. will be engaged in a zero-sum game to dump the conservation zone in somebody else's sailing area. The under-employed people looking for conservation zones will be followed by many more under-employed people whose job it is to enforce the rules and extract as many fines as possible for violation of those rules. Drop an anchor on a prawn? That'll be £50. Hit a sea horse? £1000 and a six month ban from the water. Anchor on coral? That'll be confiscation of boat and a re-education programme.

 

[Twister_Ken]

It's easy to scoff - because as yotties we don't inflict much damage. But bottom fishing by dredgers and trawlers really does screw-up the underwater ecosystem big time. I suspect the MCZ business is really about controlling commercial fishing, without risking fishermen's blockades, etc. We're just going to be collateral damage.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

It's easy to scoff - because as yotties we don't inflict much damage. But bottom fishing by dredgers and trawlers really does screw-up the underwater ecosystem big time. I suspect the MCZ business is really about controlling commercial fishing, without risking fishermen's blockades, etc. We're just going to be collateral damage.

Twister Ken is absolutely correct. A diver friend of mine told me some years ago that in many places the seabed is a Crewe like junction of tracks from the dredges with all food for fishes etc. vanished. We, yachties and mobos, will indeed be the collateral damage but from the best endeavours of others to try and repair the seabed.

 

[Scillypete]

More meddling! ! this is going to affect an awful lot of people, both commercial users and without a doubt recreational and I for one am very worried about the freedom and enjoyment I currently have being stripped away.
I notice that as a sailor I am represented by someone from the RYA, not much hope there then.
As a recreational fisherman I can probably kiss goodbye to ever dipping a line again living here as the whole place is likely to be turned into a theme park for tree hugging wildlife enthusiasts.

Slowly but surely any enjoyment we used to have is being eroded by red tape

 

[jhr]

Yet another appalling waste of time and money. An entire industry has now been constructed to identify conservation zones so that the killjoys can make life as difficult as possible for those who simply want to engage in the innocent pleasure of sailing. It is pre-ordained that there will be conservation zones so all the yacht clubs etc. will be engaged in a zero-sum game to dump the conservation zone in somebody else's sailing area. The under-employed people looking for conservation zones will be followed by many more under-employed people whose job it is to enforce the rules and extract as many fines as possible for violation of those rules. Drop an anchor on a prawn? That'll be £50. Hit a sea horse? £1000 and a six month ban from the water. Anchor on coral? That'll be confiscation of boat and a re-education programme.

Whether or not this seems a waste of time and money to you, this process is going ahead, will have a direct effect on all of us and may restrict our rights to go where and when we wish on the water. Therefore - and however much you may agree or disagree with what's going on - it's in all our interests to make representations on this, rather than being grumpy about the fact that it's happening, surely?

PS Note to Finding Sanctuary: I don't know if you've had time to stroll through these forums, but there's a certain lack of enthusiasm for Studland Bay being turned into an MCZ

 

[rickp]

We're just going to be collateral damage.

Its not so much collateral when the Marine and Coastal Access Act specifically allows for the banning of anchoring and setting up of complete exclusion zones. There intention is certainly there.

(3) The provision that may be made by a byelaw under this section includes, in particular, provision—
(a) prohibiting or restricting entry into, or any movement or other activity within, the MCZ by persons or animals;
(b) prohibiting or restricting entry into, or any movement or other activity within, the MCZ by vessels or (where appropriate) vehicles;
(c) restricting the speed at which any vessel may move in the MCZ or in any specified area outside the MCZ where that movement might hinder the conservation objectives stated for the MCZ;
(d) prohibiting or restricting the anchoring of any vessel within the MCZ;
(e) prohibiting or restricting the killing, taking, destruction, molestation or
disturbance of animals or plants of any description in the MCZ;
(f) prohibiting or restricting the doing of anything in the MCZ which would interfere with the sea bed or damage or disturb any object in the MCZ.

Its great to see Finding Sanctuary posting here - we should all take the opportunity to supply Beth with our views in as constructive a way as possible.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

Finding Sanctuary: Drop in day dates

If you are a leisure boater, fisherman, charter boat operator, sea angler, diver or have an interest in marine wildlife, come along to one of the Finding Sanctuary drop-in days:

Totnes Drop In Day
Wednesday 2nd December 2009, 10am - 8pm
The Mansion, Fore Street, Totnes, TQ9 5RP

David Murphy, Finding Sanctuary’s liaison officer for Devon said: “Marine Conservations Zones (MCZs) are being introduced through the Marine and Coastal Access Act and are coming soon. At Finding Sanctuary, we believe that the people and groups that could be affected by the MCZs should be involved in deciding where they are located and how they are managed. We are working on behalf of everyone to achieve the best possible outcome for MCZs, both in terms of conservation and people’s livelihoods and leisure interests. However, we can only achieve this if sea users come and tell us what they think.”

Successful Finding Sanctuary drop-in days have already been held at Looe, Padstow, Exmouth and Newlyn, with further drop-in days currently being planned for Falmouth, Plymouth, Bude, Weymouth and other towns in the south-west.

To find out more call Sarah McLintock on 01392 878 340/07544 590 294, email sarah.mclintock@southwestfoodanddrink.com or visit our website.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Can you molest plant life (grammatically speaking)?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

What is the equivalent body for Scottish waters? I presume is is a devolved activity.

 

[jhr]

Can you molest plant life (grammatically speaking)?

I’ve molested a fuschia in Flushing
And gone down on a phlox in Bengal.
I’ve made love to an aster whilst crushing
A daffodil into a ball.
But of all this appalling behaviour,
The moment that’s dearest to me
Is noshing a fresh, crisp Batavia
On a bed of eelgrass in the sea.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Yet more busy, busy work popping out of yet more big brother legislation?
Who is funding this?
Is this REALLY needed?

Yes would be my answer. And it's up to us, me and you to make sure that the outcome is what we want.

As a sports diver for almost 30 years I am heartily sick of seeing the damage done to many of my favourite dive sites by scallop dredgers. I attended the FS meeting in Exmouth a few weeks ago and unsurprisingly it was the scallop fishermen who were shouting (literally) the loudest proclaiming that their activities did no harm at all to the seabed. I suspect it's that sort of nonsense that FS is primarily aimed at. But yes the sea is a beautiful place and must be protected.

As much as I hate almost all legislation introduced by this govt, this has my full support. It's long overdue. Just make sure that you make your views known about your interests. If you don't then don't complain when/if things change which you don't like.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I would say yes, absolutely essential - in fact long overdue. I'm not so concerned about anchoring in most of the UK but the damage done by bottom trawling must be immense. Effectively we're collecting squirrels by dragging a huge net through the forest.

The other thing is people WILL interfere whether you like it or not. The likes of Steve Trewhella, whether correct, misguided or even driven by envy, will continue their activities and you have been given an opportunity set the record straight from your perspective.

Unfortunately saying this is not necessary will simply allow those who take advantage of the process to push their viewpoint through and then you will have something to complain about.

My only problem is I'm struggling to understand exactly what I'm supposed to do once I've registered.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

My only problem is I'm struggling to understand exactly what I'm supposed to do once I've registered.

Are you referring to registering on the Interactive Map on the Finding Sanctuary website? If so, we'd like you to draw on the map the areas of sea that you use and what activities you do there. These areas will be added to the sea use data which we are collecting through face-to-face interviews.

We are currently working to improve our Interactive Map by adding a tutorial and other features to make it easier to use. For now, there is a help document online which will talk you through the steps to mapping on the WebGIS system. If you need any help, please let us know where you are getting stuck.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Having looked at the Balanced Seas www, I find that all the local meetings have already taken place, with the exception of one on the IOW. A meeting at 1800 on a Monday in Southampton is not exactly convenient for many sailors, who may use Hampshire waters, but who live away from the coast.

I wonder whether the lack of publicity for these events (until it was too late) is a deliberate tactic?

I've written to Balanced Seas, asking for a London meeting. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Boat44]

Well, I for one think the principal is a very good one and long overdue in this country. (You may ask why we do not enforce compliance with Marpol and black water waste discharge!)

"Finding Sanctuary" have put a very good post on this site, with clear ways of getting involved. If, what they are proposing concerns you, stop whining about it on the forum and get involved!

I will be contacting them to ensure my voice is heard. As yachties we need to stand up and be counted, so stand up and BE counted.

For those that don’t think the various trade/associations are adequately representing you then write to them and say so.

If you don't like something DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

 

[fisherman]

As far as we understand, the EU requires our government to set up Marine Conservation measures by 2012. The gov has no dept ready to do this, so handed it over to Natural England. O Joy. In this area, they looked for suitable reef habitats which might be worthy of conservation, and saw The Lizard. Map is in this PDF
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/Lizard-sad_tcm6-10205.pdf

They drew a line from Loe bar, nearly out to the six mile limit, round the Lizard and in to Kennack beach, a huge area. They say that activity there is sustainable at present, but when asked admitted that the legislation allows them to bring in any restriction without further consultation. Since their only raison d'etre is to find things to conserve this seems a likely outcome.
I pointed out to them that they are only looking at one part of the marine habitat, when they need to see the whole picture. If they want to take pressure off this reef, the best way would be to curtail the activities of large trawlers and scallop dredgers nearby, which drive the small inshore boats into this area, where such gear cannot be towed. There is evidence that French trawlers have encroached inside the six mile, and have towed over some very high reef by a technique known as 'flying' the gear, but of course NE won't be able to do anything about that. There was an offshore reef about four miles off the Lizard, but it doesn't exist any more since two large scallopers came along and, in their own words, "Knocked it flat, then caught (50k-worth) scallops".

There may come a time, and not soon enough, when heavy towed fishing gear is banned. The trawl depicted above is very lightweight, and unlikely to do any serious damage.

The inshore boats here work passive gear, pots and nets, which require the fish to 'find' the gear, rather than chasing them about the seabed. Pots particularly are a sustainable method as we sort the catch and return discards to the sea alive. As usual the dogooders are looking for an easy target.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bureaucrats, not seafarers

Just thinking about the way the coast has been partitioned into sections for these consultations illustrates that there is no understanding of the way the coast is used by leisure sailors - and probably by inshore fisherman, sport divers, etc. The boundaries seem to have been drawn by desk jockeys, not those who are nautically aware

One case in point. Finding Sanctuary comes east along the S Coast as far as the Hampshire/Dorset boundary. Balanced Seas runs from there to Suffolk.

It would be far more logical from the maritime point of view to make Finding Sanctuary responsible as far as Portland Bill, for Balanced Seas to run from there to North Foreland, and then for an East Coast body to take over.

As it is, in my sailing area I need to monitor the activities of two bodies, both of which are up to things far beyond my bailiwick. Maybe divide-and-conquer is part of their game plan?

 

[Evadne]

As it is, in my sailing area I need to monitor the activities of two bodies, both of which are up to things far beyond my bailiwick. Maybe divide-and-conquer is part of their game plan?

I doubt it, you should never assume a conspiracy where incompetence is an adequate explanation. I reckon your first guess is right, these boundaries are drawn up based on county boundaries by some well meaning desk jockey.

To be fair, it's the nature of boundaries that someone is always on the edge, although splitting the biggest single area for recreational boaters in England and Wales (Poole to Solent) in two seems a bit short sighted. Maybe they just forgot that boats have a tendency to move about on the sea every now and then.