|
Some
marine related news: the snippets
are from the Wildlife Trust marine news section. Some information
about seasearch courses and dives in Wales are at the end.
- Latest
issue of MPA News, including Skomer, MPAs for migratory
species and more. click here
- Bass
Minimum Landing Size petition. The recreational sea angling
lobby has proposed that the Minimum Landing Size (MLS) for
the taking of bass should be increased to 45cm which is
the size at which each fish will have spawned at least once.
The commercial industry is generally against this move.
Defra had recognized the importance of increasing the MLS
and last year announced an interim increase to 40cm starting
6th April 2007 with a view to a larger increase in 2010.
A last minute meeting with the commercial sector has put
a hold on any increase. There is a petition at the No. 10
Downing Street website to increase the MLS to 45cm. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/BassMLS/
More information on this issue is available at http://www.ukbass.com
- Fishing
off Sussex costs a trawler skipper £10,300.
The owner and skipper of the Brixham beam trawler Angus
Rose, was fined a £6,500 with a further £3,800
costs, by Brighton magistrates on March 29th after pleading
guilty to 17 log book offences and fishing inside the protected
six mile limit off Hastings.
In an interview submitted to the court, Mr. George admitted
to Marine Fisheries inspectors that he never filled his
log book until the end of a fishing trip. The rules state
that he is required to do so by midnight every night.
Prosecuting for the Marine Fisheries Agency and the Sussex
Sea Fisheries Committee, David Buck, said a large vessel
like the Angus Rose fishing inside the six mile limit had
a damaging impact on the marine environment and in-shore
fish stocks.
Magistrates said it was clear that the Angus Rose had consistently
fished within the six mile limit and there was no excuse
for it because sophisticated equipment on board showed Mr.
George exactly where he was.
Mr. George claimed the log book offences were “minor
clerical errors” and his encroachment inside the six
mile limit was because he was short-handed and tired. ”Magistrates
said that after previous warnings, a small fine and a conditional
discharge in the past it was time to impose a significant
financial penalty.
Paul Johnson, senior MFA fisheries officer based at Shoreham
said: “This case shows the Marine Fisheries Agency
and the Sussex Sea Fisheries Committee working in partnership
to enforce the rules which are designed preserve the inshore
marine environment and fish stocks.”
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
A
letter from Vicky Swales
(former club marine conservation officer)
 Dear
All
Hope you all have had a good summer of diving! We have had several
good Seasearch dives in the last few weeks with some good visibility
and interesting seabed habitats but sadly no Mantis Shrimps!. Those
of you that would still like to join us on a Seasearch dive for
the remainder of 2006 have a choice of three dates left.
Wednesday 30th August, Sunday 10th September and Sunday 17th September.
If your interested in joining us then please fill in the attachment
and return ASAP as places are filling up quickly.
We also have a Seasearch Observer course on Saturday 16th September,
9am - 4.30pm at Hampshire Wildlife Trust in Botley. Again please
fill in the attachment if interested.
I would also like to ask if anyone is interested in attending a
Seasearch Surveyor course? I know that several of you have enquired
earlier on in the year about the Surveyor course and we are hoping
to run one in October subject to demand. I have provisionally booked
the weekend of the 7th/8th. You need to already be a Seasearch observer
and have a up-do-date log book with all paperwork signed off. This
two day course does requires a a dive on the second day for completion.
Please can you reply by Monday 11th September to confirm if you
are interested in attending so I can finalise arrangements.
I do hope that you can join us on a Seasearch dive soon.
Cheers, Vicky
 Seasearch
Dives
Volunteers are to meet at Hayling Island Ferry Pontoon on the Eastney
side at 10am for the 30th August, and 9am for both dives in September.
Cost of dives is £15 subject to weather conditions. Dive site,
IOW. Further details will be send once your booking form is received.
Please particularly make note of the following points: Copies of
the following must be shown to the Dive Marshal before boarding
the vessel:
- Diving qualification
(and training agency).
- Date of and
expiry of doctors medical examination or UK sport diver medical
self-certification.
- Who provides
your diver third party insurance? (e.g BSAC, SAA, DAN, PADI) if
you are not already insured, please ensure you arrange cover prior
to the course.
- Date of most
recent sea dive (log book) Due to Health and Safety requirements,
divers who do not show all paperwork on the day will not be allowed
to dive, so it is important to make sure that all information
is presented to the Dive Marshal.
Divers are advised
that a 'Seasearch dive' should not be their first sea dive or deepest
dive of the season. It is recommended that a UK 'warm-up' dive has
already taken place.
If you have
any questions then please do not hesitate to contact me, for further
information about Seasearch details can be found on http://www.seasearch.org.uk
 Seasearch
Observer Course
This is a one-day course aimed at giving divers new to the project
and new to marine recording a basic grounding. At the end of the
course you should be able to complete the Seasearch Observation
Form and take part in Seasearch Dives either on your own, with your
club or on dives organised by Seasearch Partners.
During the course you'll learn about Seasearch - its aims, history
and achievements, a basic introduction to the variety of marine
life in UK waters, recognising and classifying marine habitats,
position fixing, and how to fill in the Observation Form. The day
concludes with a 'video dive' and an opportunity to fill in a form
without even getting wet! The course includes a splash proof course
pack and everything you'll need to go ahead and get started.
The tutors are all divers themselves and drawn from our partner
organisations and keen Seasearchers. A real dive isn't a part of
the course but sometimes one is arranged locally for you to practice
your techniques with a tutor on hand. During the course you'll get
a Seasearch Qualification booklet. Once you have completed 5 for
real (two on dives with a Tutor present) you can get signed up as
a Seasearch Observer.
 Seasearch
Surveyor Course
The Surveyor Course is aimed at experienced Seasearch Observers
and others with a good background knowledge of marine life and marine
recording. The aim is to enable you to complete the Seasearch Survey
Form which is used on most of the expeditionary Seasearch dives
and which gives much more detailed information for future conservation
purposes.
The course lasts two days and includes a dive on the second day.
The Course content is an expansion of the Observer Course and covers
a much wider range of marine life and habitat classification. Again
we use video on the first day and you fill in practice forms both
from the video and from the dive itself. The course is assessed
and successful participants can become Seasearch Surveyors after
completing a further five forms.
Vicky Swales, Marine Officer
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Beechcroft
Vicarage Lane
Curdridge
|
