STUDLAND - How much do they want???

[ARCO7]

We're Back !

I have been kept well away from this forum for the past few weeks due to another project , but I'm pleased the handle is still being cranked and there are more hands to the pump than ever before .
Well done to BORG and the Facebook Groups who are splinters of this forum .
Has anyone thought about collecting all these blog comments and publishing a book ? It would make an amusing read ! Perhaps when this crisis is over someone can suggest this to the RNLI and they can benefit from the sales of such a book . Both yachties and divers benefit from their wonderful service so why not give something back ?
The SAVE STUDLAND BAY GROUP on FACEBOOK had 145 members last time I looked and I believe a well known Yachtsman is now keenly supporting us in our battle .
I find the latest FS posting a bit concerning , "Some areas may become no anchor zones " but I am sure the lawyers will have fun chewing over these in later years.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Infest the area with killer shrimps with a taste for seahorses sch sch and a nice chianti

 

[oldharry]

I find the latest FS posting a bit concerning , "Some areas may become no anchor zones " but I am sure the lawyers will have fun chewing over these in later years.

Dont be under ANY illusions. Studland is just one of hundreds of possible sites for MCZs.

MMO, who will be making the final decisions (note MCS have NO actual say in this), have been tasked by the government to designate 30% of UK coastal waters as MCZs. One is already in existence round Lundy island in the Bristol Channel, but provision is made for an anchorage there.

This stuff is already on the statute book, the processes we see at present are the consultation stage. MMO will designate the actual zones, will create byelaws to ensure they pre protected, and quote "will have enforcement officers ashore and afloat" to enforce them. MCZs can be anything from areas where certain activities like bottom trawling and dredging will be barred, right through to full 'benchmark status' sites, where no human interference of any kind will be permitted - the same as supersensitive land sites which are closed to all but licence holders. That means it would be a criminal offence to even enter that area of the sea.

It WILL happen, in 2012. The only question is WHERE.

That is why BORG has come into existence, to try to ensure our voice is being heard where it should be, and we need your help. By 2012 it will be too late.

RYA has done a huge amount of work behind the scenes, particualrly at the committee stages, where they were able to bring in some important amendments to help preserve our rights. They are working with the regional consultative groups but the voice of local boatowners, who after all are the group most likely to be immediately affected, is not being heard.

Typically, Finding Sanctuary, the organisation tasked with advising MMO on possible MCZ sites in the SW region, believes Studland Boat owners to be 'well represented' Who by? Studland Parish Council, and the RYA. BORG has already managed to get representation at the next local meeting.

WWW.boatownersresponsegroup.com Not too much up yet, but we are working on it!

 

[KristiferColumbus]

Good for you Harry & it is good to know that people like you with guts are on the job.

 

[oldharry]

Good for you Harry & it is good to know that people like you with guts are on the job.

Thats enough about my beer belly thanks!

Seriuously though, my particular role in this seems to be finding information, and putting it together so tht we know what we are talking about. part of it seems to be the amount of spurious info there is around, and one of our first tasks is finding out who and what actually matters. Who are the people behind the decison making process, and what information do the actually need.

Jumping up and down shouting 'not fair' may make us feel good - a bit like the student protests in London last night.

Rolling up our sleeves, doing the groundwork to find the facts, then presenting them to the people who are actually responsible for decison making, in a way they can use them to influence the decsions is what BORG is about.

 

[ARCO7]

RYA

From Google Alerts that have beamed through today ,it appears the RYA are not going to support any anchoring ban in Studland Bay ...thats hot off the press and very welcome news

 

[Sans Bateau]

From Google Alerts that have beamed through today ,it appears the RYA are not going to support any anchoring ban in Studland Bay ...thats hot off the press and very welcome news

Had they supported a ban, it would have greatly depleted their membership, with a big question mark, "what is the point of the RYA?" Glad to hear they are on side. Just got to get YBW to support us now.

 

[alahol2]

Haven't read it but 'not supporting' isn't good enough, the RYA needs to mount a vigorous opposition to an anchoring ban.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Thats better RYA, a bit late, but now you are starting to make the right sounds:

http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/ne...nBrief&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=dec10mem

 

[Chrissie]

Our sanctury too

I tried the interactive site many times during its open period, but couldnt get it to work, I gave up with the view that it was only there to pretend they want our views.

Finding sanctury, speaking as a small boat sailor, we need sancturies ourselves, Its a long way from Keyhaven/Yarmouth to get through the Needles tidal gate and round the headlands to a safe anchorage, Swanage and Studland are our Sancturies too!

There are loads of seabed areas that are not good for anchoring, and the Eelgrass and Seahorses dont thrive in them, but they do seem to have thrived where they get disturbed, so perhaps symbiosis has a hand in it, has anyone researched that aspect?

 

[Sans Bateau]

On your last paragraph Chrisse, I doubt anyone knows if seahorses or eelgrass exists, as you say in areas unsuitable for anchoring, St Albans ledge for instance. There could be two reasons for this, either the research has been done and nothing found, or taking a cynical view, it is more rewarding to a single issue group to attempt to have others excluded from an 'ideal' easy access location.

Of course, whos to say, may be the seahorse like Studland because boats anchor there, maybe they like the company?

 

[oldharry]

Studland is only headlined because it is such a popular anchorage, and has had so much publicity. There ARE other sites under study, but apart from Helford River, they are largely unknown to the boating community as they are not an issue to us. Yet.

Sea Horse Trust Website has information on the locations in which Seahorses have been recorded round the UK coast. They have confirmed sitings of over 600 animals including the 40 or so reported at Studland. Interesting reading if you are interested to learn more.

As to Elgrass, there is less information, but there are a number of locations down the coast, most of them (all?) in Finding Sanctuary's designated 'building block' areas. that is areas which have been selected as possible Marine Protected Areas (MPA's in FS speak), of which the western half of Bournemouth Bay (including Studland) is just one of many.

Large areas of northern Lyme bay, inshore Torbay (more eelgrass here), areas round Start Point including Salcombe and the Salcombe Eelgrass beds, big areas between Plymouth and Looe, The whole Fal / Helford estuary (more Eelgrass here) and inshore area, Mounts Bay, Various areas mainly on the northern and eastern sides of the Scillies, are all designated as MPA 'building blocks' as well as large areas offshore are all under consideration just in the Finding Sanctuary area alone. Many more in the Severn Estuary and the Welsh Coast area too. This is being repeated all round the UK coast.

I raised the issue some time ago of a possible symbiosis between human use and Seahorse habitat as they had at that time been reported in St Peter Port and Brighton Marinas as well as the Studland anchorage. There is no evidence apparently of a link, and Sea Horse Trust pointed out they are present in Studland due to the eelgrass bed - their favoured, but not sole, habitat. Which of course is 'being damaged' by anchoring...

 

[Seajet]

the eelgrass bed - their favoured, but not sole, habitat. Which of course is 'being damaged' by anchoring...

- and although F.S. like to wheel out their 'expert' saying his 2 year's research hasn't seen the seagrass recover, the Luftwaffe's aerial shots show a great deal less Seagrass then than now, after we nasty boat owners have been there 'damaging' the stuff since the post-war boom !

 

[Twister_Ken]

And perhaps his two years were anomalous in some way - how is he to know with extended research?

 

[oldharry]

Other longer term studies from the Med and Brazil show there is a degree of recovery after 5 years. They take the view this is too long for the beds to be able to survive regular anchor damage, and put anchoring bans in place, which supports Dr Cs assertion it should be banned in Studland. Studland however has we know survived for 80+ years of use, at least 40 of which are near present levels of usage. The beds are still there, and the only damage we were shown was clearly recent. As I said before, it is far more relevant to ask the condition of the area I damaged in 1977 when my boat dragged its fouled anchor nearly 1/4 mile through the Eelgrass before I could get back to it from the beach after the wind piped up! I wasnt the only boat on the move that day either!

 

[steve350]

There are loads of seabed areas that are not good for anchoring, and the Eelgrass and Seahorses dont thrive in them, but they do seem to have thrived where they get disturbed, so perhaps symbiosis has a hand in it, has anyone researched that aspect?

According to the leaflet "Plymouth Waterways, A guide for small craft" eelgrass is to be found at the anchorages off Jennycliff Bay, Drakes Island and Cawsand. From their map it appears that these are the only places in Plymouth Sound where eelgrass exists.
The reader is informed, "it is known that recreational boating can harm the beds" and advocates "avoid anchoring in known eelgrass areas" and also "avoid travelling over any eelgrass"
The leaflet was produced by the Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum. A partnership whose members consist of: Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation, Natural England and several others.

 

[Searush]

According to the leaflet "Plymouth Waterways, A guide for small craft" eelgrass is to be found at the anchorages off Jennycliff Bay, Drakes Island and Cawsand. From their map it appears that these are the only places in Plymouth Sound where eelgrass exists.
The reader is informed, "it is known that recreational boating can harm the beds" and advocates "avoid anchoring in known eelgrass areas" and also "avoid travelling over any eelgrass"
The leaflet was produced by the Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum. A partnership whose members consist of: Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation, Natural England and several others.

So you're saying eelgrass only grows in anchorages then?

Given the advice recently by Dick Durham about how invasive alien (to UK) species are carried around & distributed by boat activity, it sems logical to me that anchoring is likely to distribute eelgrass quite widely. Damage to the rhizome carpet may take some time to repair but will repair over the years unless the anchoring activity is highly focussed in one spot.

Given that boats try to avoid eelgrass anyway as it can impede safety if the anchor doesn't dig in, I really don't see a problem with present levels of boating use.

 

[Alcyone]

I don't know if it's been mentioned on the thread, but there's a poll on PBO about this issue:

http://www.pbo.co.uk/polls

 

[Robin]

I don't know if it's been mentioned on the thread, but there's a poll on PBO about this issue:

http://www.pbo.co.uk/polls

I hadn't seen that before but it is a biased poll IMO or at best an ill thought out one.

I'm quite happy to support (as long as it is proper long term scientific) research into the effects of anchoring on seahorse habitat but I also oppose strongly any proposed restriction on anchoring in Studland. So how can I answer yes to both questions, the poll suggests it is one choice directly opposing the other.

I'm afraid this shows the casual disinterested approach of YBW to this very serious matter with very little if any coverage of it in their magazines.

 

[KristiferColumbus]

I hadn't seen that before but it is a biased poll IMO or at best an ill thought out one.

I'm quite happy to support (as long as it is proper long term scientific) research into the effects of anchoring on seahorse habitat but I also oppose strongly any proposed restriction on anchoring in Studland. So how can I answer yes to both questions, the poll suggests it is one choice directly opposing the other.

I'm afraid this shows the casual disinterested approach of YBW to this very serious matter with very little if any coverage of it in their magazines.

Can only agree.....again but do we really even need research when as seajet points out the evidence is already there going back donkeys years (Luftwaffe.Metropolitan Police Chief Alker Tripps writings in books he published before the war.Other accounts mentioned in these forums from people that have sailed there for ages) All just seems deeply offensive to me.
More evidence of..........jobs for the boys.