Marine Conservation Zones coming soon - help protect your favourite UK dive sites

[Finding Sanctuary]

Thanks to the Marine and Coastal Access Bill new Marine Conservation Zones could be coming to your area soon. Four projects have now been set up around England to help divers and other sea users have a voice in deciding where these zones should go, and what activities should be restricted in them. 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.

If you dive in the south-west Finding Sanctuary is asking you to share your information about which areas of sea are important to you. ‘Why would I want to do that’, you ask yourself?

As a diver you have unrivalled knowledge of sea areas around the south-west and you will probably want to recommend that some sites are protected because they are particularly special to you. In some Marine Conservation Zones, take by recreational users including divers could be restricted. However, by contributing your information and thoughts you are ensuring that your interests can be taken into account during the planning of these new protected areas.

There are two ways you can get involved to have your say:
1. Visit the Interactive Map
2. Call Finding Sanctuary on 01392 878 340 and arrange to meet your nearest liaison officer who will help you to map the areas which are important to you.

If you dive in other parts of the country get in touch with your nearest project.

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

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

North Sea
Net Gain
Net Gain (website under construction)
Email: dani@yhsg.co.uk
Tel: 01482 382 007

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

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

If you are a diver, fisherman, charter boat operator, sea angler, yachtsman, involved in watersports or have an interest in marine wildlife, come along to one of Finding Sanctuary’s drop-in days at Exmouth and Ilfracombe this month.

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 Conservations Zones (MCZs) could affect their lives. MCZs 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 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 and Newlyn, with further drop-in days currently being planned for Plymouth, Bude, Weymouth and other towns in the south-west.

Drop in Day Details:

Wednesday 18th November
10am – 8pm, Elizabeth Hall, Bath Road, Exmouth. EX8 2BA

Thursday 26th November
10am – 8pm, Ilfracombe Yacht Club, The Quay, Ilfracombe. EX34 9EQ

For further information contact:
Sarah McLintock
Tel: 01392 878 340/07544 590 294
Email: sarah.mclintock@southwestfoodanddrink.com
or
David Murphy
Tel: 07814 781 174
Email: david.murphy@southwestfoodanddrink.com

Finding Sanctuary

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

In addition to the upcoming Ilfracombe drop-in day, we now have another planned in Totnes:

Ilfracombe
Thursday 26th November 2009, 10am – 8pm
Ilfracombe Yacht Club, The Quay, Ilfracombe, EX34 9EQ

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

We look forward to seeing you at one of the days. If you are unable to get there, we will be doing more around the south-west over the coming months, or you could contact Sarah McLintock on 01392 878 340/07544 590 294 or by email on sarah.mclintock@southwestfoodanddrink.com.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

If you use the sea in the south-west, we want to hear from you. Come along to one of the Finding Sanctuary drop-in days to find out how new Marine Conservation Zones could affect you and how you can get involved. Dates for the new year are already being added, just come along at any time during the day.

Weymouth Drop-in Day
Monday 11th January 2010, 10am – 8pm
The Gallery, Weymouth Library, Great George Street, Dorset, DT4 8NN

Falmouth Drop-in Day
Wednesday 27th January 2010, 10am - 8pm
National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Discovery Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3QY

A drop-in day in Plymouth is also being planned for January, details to follow soon.

To find out more call Sarah McLintock on 01392 878 340/07544 590294, email her at sarah.mclintock@southwestfoodanddrink.com or look at our website.

Don’t forget, if you can’t make it to one of our drop-in days, you could always map the areas of sea you use on our Interactive Map online. If you use the sea in other parts of England, contact your nearest project: South-east - Balanced Seas, North Sea - Net Gain and Irish Sea - Irish Sea Conservation Zones. If you are not sure which regional project you fall under, take a look at our map.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

Finding Sanctuary are running more drop-in days around the south-west to allow people who use the sea in this region to come and find out more about Marine Conservation Zones. No appointment needed, just come along to find out how MCZs could affect you and how you can get involved by mapping the areas of sea you use.

We have added another January drop-in day in Plymouth:

Plymouth Drop-in Day
Tuesday 19th January 2010, 10am - 8pm
The Royal Western Yacht Club, Queen Anne's Battery, Plymouth, PL4 0TW

To find out more call Sarah McLintock on 01392 878 340/07544 590294, email her at sarah.mclintock@southwestfoodanddrink.com or look at our website.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

If you use the sea in the south-west, we want to hear from you. It is your opportunity to speak to Finding Sanctuary staff about new Marine Conservation Zones, how they could affect you and how you can get involved. Dates have been organised for February and March around the south west, so come along at any time during the day to your nearest venue.

Bude Drop-in Day
Thursday 25th February 2010, 10am – 8pm
Bude Tourist Information Centre, Crescent Car Park, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8LE

Newlyn/Penzance Drop-in Day
Monday 1st March 2010, 10am – 8pm
Fishermen’s Mission, Ship Institute, North Pier, Newlyn, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 5JB

Poole Drop-in Day
Thursday 18th March 2010, 10am – 8pm
The Lifeboat College, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ

Bristol Drop-in Day
Tuesday 23rd March 2010, 10am – 8pm
The Kings Arms, 168 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2XZ

To find out more call Sarah McLintock on 01392 878 340/07544 590294, email her at sarah@finding-sanctuary.org or look at our website.

Don’t forget, if you can’t make it to one of our drop-in days, you could always map the areas of sea you use on our Interactive Map online.

If you use the sea in other parts of England, contact your nearest project:
South-east - Balanced Seas
North Sea - Net Gain
Irish Sea - Irish Sea Conservation Zones.

If you are not sure which regional project you fall under, take a look at our map.

 

[Finding Sanctuary]

You do not need to be a member of a club to get involved with Marine Conservation Zone planning, in fact the main reason for setting up the Interactive map is to enable divers who do not belong to a club to more easily engage with the project and tell us about the areas important to them.

We have created maps of diving and spearfishing distribution and intensity in the south west from the information given to us by divers so far. We want you to take a look and let us know what you think. These map attached to this post, but are also available at greater resolution on our website under the "general tab" of the resources page. Once you have downloaded the map(s) relevant to you, then:

1. If there are inaccuracies in the data or comments about the way it is presented please contact Shaun Lewin at shaun.lewin@southwestfoodanddrink.com

2. If fishing, club or charter boat data is missing please contact your County Liaison Officer: Spike Searle in Cornwall, Dave Murphy in Devon, John Weinberg in Dorset and Martin Syvret in Somerset.

3. If recreational data (boating, diving, sea angling) is missing please visit MCZ Interactive Map register and enter your data.

Please be aware that you only have until the 31st of October 2010 to do this.

The map of diving represents the distribution of 6747 divers from 49 interviews. 25 of these interviews were with clubs or dive centres of more than 10 people. The map of Spearfishing and gathering represents the distribution of 625 divers from 14 interviews spearfishing and hand-collecting fish and shellfish. Five of these interviews were with clubs or dive centres of more than 10 people.

The majority of this data was collected from clubs in Devon and Cornwall. There is information from Dorset and Somerset yet to be included.

We look forward to hearing from you and any other independent diver in the next two weeks.

Kind regards,
Sarah McLintock