MCZ and Reference Areas Draft recommendations are out

[Carribean Blue]

Because they dont know themselves yet. They have to produce a report, and they have to include things that have not been decided. Try pinning any of these Zone groups down, and you will find them as slippery as the eelgrass! I have more than once had my knuckles rapped for passing info directly from these reports in case people take it is a 'decision'. So NOTHING IS FINAL in these reports I am relaying - got it folks!

I have put a brief summary up on the Studland thread of the main points, and as soon as time allows, will have a fuller summary of the BS area proposals to post here under the Studland sticky and the BORGs site.

But - nothing is decided, and in many locations, discussion is 'ongoing' which means there are no final decisions yet

A quote from Winston Churchill springs to mind:-

'before they get up, they do not know what they are going to say, when they are speaking they do not know what they are talking about, and when they have sat down, we do not know what they have said'

 

[Carribean Blue]

Um, isn't that a good thing?

Pete

Yes! It is about time people started to wake up, we did a year ago, hence the comment about MP's.

One more thing, support the RYA campaign if you are a member, they are fighting to protect our interests, contact details for the MCZ reps are on the RYA website.
If you are not a member, it is about time you joined.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Yes! It is about time people started to wake up, we did a year ago, hence the comment about MP's.

One more thing, support the RYA campaign if you are a member, they are fighting to protect our interests, contact details for the MCZ reps are on the RYA website.
If you are not a member, it is about time you joined.

The wake up call is probably too late. We started reporting the first mutterings of MCZ's in the autumn of 2008. Even most recently when we tried to alert the East Coast members there was a very laid back attitude to what we knew was happening. Two weeks ago I was talking with a boat owner in Bembridge, he had not even heard of MCZ's!!

Continue with the lobbying, because a great deal of this is conservation for the sake of the conservationists, a solution running around trying to find a problem. Talk about it with other boat owners.

If you are not already aware, take a look at the Boat Owners Response Group web site, an organisation that is working very closely with the RYA and has had representation on some influential committees, in the form of Old Harry.

You are right, wake up!! We are doing what we can, but there is a well oiled machine out there which wants to suppress us, all.

They may publicise 'get involved', but if they dont like the message you carry, involved is something you will not be!

 

[sea urchin]

You are right, wake up!! We are doing what we can, but there is a well oiled machine out there which wants to suppress us, all. !

With respect over here past the Bill (Selsey) people woke up in 2008 too, whilst all this was going through Parliament. Forget sea horses and anchoring. Over here people's homes may flood if the Reference Area for Pagham Harbour gets the go-ahead, and the whole community may also suffer (essential services cut off, businesses fail etc at times of flooding). A Reference Area could mean that proposed sea defence works (and maintenance of the existing sea defences) will be outlawed by the regulations. Since 2008 there have been a few folks here keeping a watching brief, which has included watching YBW forum, RYA website as well as Environment Agency updates, Balanced Seas website etc.

It is only since the introduction of the reference area rules last year, that the fears have led to the lobbying. MCZ's allow for socio economic factors to be taken into account, but reference areas do not.

Being a coastal area many of us are boat users too, and the yacht club at Pagham is itself under threat if the sea defences fail. Hence keeping the RYA informed, as they have been given a voice on the regional bodies such as BS, FS, NG etc.

Our 'campaign' started out very local, pre MCZ nonsense, as the conservationist dream has been opposed to sea defence protection for some time ('it interferes with natural geological processes'!). There are other coastal communities in the same boat - some in Suffolk and Kent spring to mind. Now they are linking up to lobby the MCZ machine, and gaining a national voice.

It does seem to be having an effect, throughout the BS draft recommendations there are references to the discomfort the Stakeholder group feels over the process it has been asked to adhere to because of the human consequences that may follow. The May BS newsletter refers to the invitation to the Minister to attend their next stakeholder meeting so that they can discuss these issues.

So BORG is not alone, and keep up the good work. We must all work together. The RYA is an obvious contact for us all, as they have the resources to make themselves heard, have been established for long enough to be listened to, at a strategic level.

And lobby your MP's too - remember all this mess was created under the Labour administration. The Coalition may be able to find a way to interpret the Euro-nonsense in a more flexible way! I do not believe it is too late!

 

[oldharry]

Summary of Balanced Seas MCZs affecting boating activities

I have now studied the report and posted on the 'Studland' Sticky thread a summary of the MCZ recommendations which are likely to maffect boating areas. E coast gets off fairly lightly, but take a look down the Solent. Three main anchroages and a harbour 'under threat'. Its unbelievable! Stuldanders thought they were getting a raw deal, but this is far worse.

However, as Galadriel commented elsewhere, the sight of a 'Neoprene Knight' trying to convince a tanked up Cowes racing crew that they shouldnt anchor where they always have would be worth seeing!

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

How does an area which becomes designated a 'no anchoring zone' become policed?

 

[oldharry]

How does an area which becomes designated a 'no anchoring zone' become policed?

That will be down to the MMO, who have the resources of the Fisheries Protection patrols at their disposal. Nevertheless it is a very valid question.

The fear is that a few unfortunate boat owners will be hauled before the Courts and have huge fines, possibly as much as £20k, imposed. It would then rapidly become self-policing as it becomes known its 'not worth the risk'.

The thought of MMO becoming a 'marine police force' in the wake of UKBA lads in Black RIBS on our coasts is something less than reassuring, but in the current regime of cutbacks. this possibility seems to be receding somewhat.

 

[sea urchin]

Finding Sanctuary - Draft Final Recommendations also published

(Also posted on the 'Studland sticky thread) The Finding Sanctuary draft final recommendations are also published - on a cursory inspection, it looks as if FS to has listened to the concerns of local stakeholders in the south west to a greater degree than Balanced Seas has in the south east. EG at the meeting of Dorset Local Marine Conservation Zone Group on the 17th February 2011 (which was attended by Old Harry), many of the issues raised seem to have been taken on board and the proposals amended, boundaries made to accommodate sea defenses or local activities, livelihoods etc. However, not being local to that area, many who are, may disagree with this observation!

Apologies if this info has already been posted. I have done a search but did not find anything.

The link to the 583 page (!!!) draft report is here (The final recommendations are due to go forward to Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in August):-

http://www.finding-sanctuary.org/page/news/420

A link from this page on the Finding Sanctuary website goes to the the full report including maps.

 

[Seajet]

Sea Urchin,

I know there are some extremely fed up people in the West Country who seem to have lost good seamanlike anchorages, though it could be said perhaps not with the same impact as those proposed by BS.

Of course the jury is still out on Studland, probably the most necessary of all for seagoing safety in the whole area.

What is noticeable is that when objections have been raised, particularly in this case just offshore such as aggregate extraction and fishery areas, objections are simply brushed aside; so much for 'taking into account socio-economic impact'...

What with that and producing 583 page draft reports made as unreadable with as much jargon as possible, one can see a juggernaut is at work.

 

[sea urchin]

What with that and producing 583 page draft reports made as unreadable with as much jargon as possible, one can see a juggernaut is at work.

A juggernaut? Or maybe just jobs for the boys ...... a whole industry to write the report, interpret the report, evaluate the report, discuss the report, amend the report ....... with lots of meetings to achieve all this, and careers depend upon it. An industry which does not have its feet on the ground, or its flippers in the sea, so as to speak. God help us all!

And of course, their will be jobs to train newcomers to understand the jargon, translators for the uninitiated, and to improve on the jargon to baffle when there is an uncomforatable truth to be told.