Studland - The Seahorse lovers are winning

Seven Spades

Seven Spades

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Right at the end they say that part of the anchorage is going to be cordoned off for a control to see what happens to the seahorse population in that area. The problem I have is that it seems that the Seahorse Trust have concluded that there is a problem for seahorses without any evidence.

Who has the authority to section off the anchorage and who is to conduct the survey on the control area. The number of resident seahorseas is very small so statistically I believe that the numbers are to small to be statistically significant I hope that the people monitoring this test is not the seahorse trust. Their evidence would not be independent, verifiable or trustworthy.
 
Fact: seahorses have been found in an area where boats anchor.
Conclusion: the seahorses and boats both find this area suitable to their needs.
Aim: to maintain this situation.
Action: do nothing which would disturb the existing situation.
QED
 
Sea horses vs rich yotties??? Hmmmmmmm, let me see now....................






Yep, on the side of the seahorses every time! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Rich yotties have plenty of places to play in, without being a pain in the arse to creatures that have particular habitat needs.
 
I quite agree, don't these people understand that you shouldn't interfere with the environment as you may well change it for the worse. As numbers are increasing, why change things?
 
Same thing in Salcombe - "you can't anchor there, it's all eel grass which the seahorses live in".

Despite the fact that I had been anchoring there since 1964!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I quite agree, don't these people understand that you shouldn't interfere with the environment as you may well change it for the worse. As numbers are increasing, why change things?

[/ QUOTE ]

These numbers that are increasing, are they the figures produced by the Seahorse trust, which you say above are not independant, trustworthy or verifiable.......?
 
What do seahorses eat?

If the rich yotties stop pumping out their heads at the anchorage, will the seahorse population decline I wonder?

P
 
Seahorses don't eat *hit.......

Seahorses eat small shrimp, tiny fish and plankton.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Fact: seahorses have been found in an area where boats anchor.
Conclusion: the seahorses and boats both find this area suitable to their needs.
Aim: to maintain this situation.
Action: do nothing which would disturb the existing situation.
QED

[/ QUOTE ]

Bigger problem, seahorses are finding marina's a nice place to live, will we see boats banned from them next ?

Brian
 
So if we all make a special effort to drag our anchors every which way to remove the eel grass completely this season will that make these things move on? This is a bit like having the local park taken over by travellers claiming all sorts of rights!

When will people leave things alone and stop interfering with nature's natural progression.
 
"This is a bit like having the local park taken over by travellers claiming all sorts of rights!"

A bit like yotties demanding to anchor where they will then innit?
 
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When will people leave things alone and stop interfering with nature's natural progression.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah - now this is where it gets complicated ... is our "interference" natural? ie. is it condisered to be natural behaviour to anchor in Studland bay?

Actually I would welcome a specific study whereby they have an non-anchoring exclusion zone and another area with the status quo - it would help indicate if it is the constant anchoring that is helping to create the right environment ... or not ...
 
Don't know the science on this one, but it appears that the sea horses -bless there little watery hooves- have taken a liking to a habitat which, since a little after Noah sailed the high seas, has been a popular anchorage. Could it be the the little creatures love a bit of heavy metal and chains, and that the anchors are somehow enhancing the habitat or getting them horny?

I spose cordoning off an area will provide a comparative study, but if the seahorses are thriving under the current circumstances, why risk harming their wellbeing, by changing things?

Just for the record: I rarely go to Studland, cos it's too busy, so I've no axe to grind there, and I've got now't against seahorses.
 
I got no arguments with that! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When will people leave things alone and stop interfering with nature's natural progression.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah - now this is where it gets complicated ... is our "interference" natural? ie. is it condisered to be natural behaviour to anchor in Studland bay?

Actually I would welcome a specific study whereby they have an non-anchoring exclusion zone and another area with the status quo - it would help indicate if it is the constant anchoring that is helping to create the right environment ... or not ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Rubbish. That's far too sensible. Nothing that this nanny state could do, short of concreting the sea bed with regular titanium hooks for our anchors to catch, out to our 200 mile limit will do. I, for one, will never allow the fascists of the Lesbian Seahorse Alliance to dictate to us in this manner.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I quite agree, don't these people understand that you shouldn't interfere with the environment as you may well change it for the worse. As numbers are increasing, why change things?

[/ QUOTE ]

These numbers that are increasing, are they the figures produced by the Seahorse trust, which you say above are not independant, trustworthy or verifiable.......?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I believe that the numbers may well have increased otherwise they would not be making a fuss. However, if you are to conduct a study it may well show that since they have cordoned off an area numbers have increased, but they were increasing anyway. I am sure the little darlings swim around and who is to say that the environment in the controlled area is the same as that which is uncontrolled?

There are lies dam lies and statistics, I would not trust a pressure group whose aim is to remove boats from Studalnd to conduct a study into the effects of yachts.
 
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