Marine and Coastal Access Bill protecting Exmouth Sea Life
By ALGrace | Thursday, November 12, 2009, 10:46
Whether you have an interest in marine wildlife or you’re a fisherman, charter boat operator, sea angler, diver or yachtsman, you should go along to Finding Sanctuary’s drop-in day at Elizabeth Hall, Exmouth, 18th November – running all day from 10am to 8pm.
The South West region has some of the richest populations of fish in British waters, with 215 recorded species, 50 of which are commercially landed.
Lying at the junction of the North Sea, Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, it is something of a marine biodiversity hotspot. From Zooplankton and Devonshire Cup Coral to Pink Fan, Jewel Anenome and Basking Sharks, there is plenty to protect.
Today, BBC Spotlight Southwest reported the recovery of coral reefs in Lyme Bay. Marine Biologists from Plymouth University spent two months surveying the reef as part of a three-year monitoring programme. Sea-fans, sponges and coral are all starting to emerge again. The exclusion zone came in to effect in July 2008, following years of campaigning by the Devon Wildlife Trust.
David Murphy, Finding Sanctuary’s liaison officer for Devon said: “We are asking people who use the sea around Devon to come along and find out about how new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) could affect their lives.”
“Marine Conservation Zones are being introduced through the Marine and Coastal Access Bill and are coming soon. At Finding Sanctuary, we believe that the people and groups that could be affected by 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 is sea users come and tell us what they think.”
Successful Finding Sanctuary drop-in days have already been held at Looe, Padstow and Newlyn, with further events planned for Plymouth, Bude, Weymouth and other towns in the south-west.
Finding Sanctuary is based at Darts Farm, Topsham. For more information, contact Sarah McClintock on 01392 878340 or David Murphy on 07814 781174.
Comments
There was lots of discussion about this on Country File on BBC 1 last night (Sunday). Obviously they were talking about the whole of the British coast on the programme, but they mentioned Devon as being very important. They all seemed to think that this Bill is vital and will go a huge way to protecting our coastal environment.
By Heidi_girl at 16:46 on 23/11/09
ReportI think it is important that anyone who could be affected by the Marine and Coastal Access Bill goes along and checks this out. Better to find out about it in advance, and perhaps have a chance to put your point of view forward, rather than wait until these things come into force and wish you had been involved. It is really good that we are being given the opportunity to learn all about it - after all the coastal environment is such an important part of life around Exmouth.
By CWBC45 at 18:33 on 12/11/09
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