Llantrisant Sub-Aqua Club
www.llantrisantdivers.com

 
Marine Conservation & Underwater Photography
 
British Marine Life - A new gallery page has been added showing some of the marine life found around the Pembrokeshire Coast. To access it - click here.

Martin's Photos
- Martin Sanders has emailed me some underwater photos that he took recently. To see them click here.

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.”
 
Observer Courses
date location contact
April 14th/15th Marloes, Pembrokeshire West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
28th/29th April Bangor, Gwynedd North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
May 19th/20th Kenfig, S. Wales South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
9th/10th June Tudweiliog, Llyn Peninsula North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
 
Observer Dives
date location contact
28th-29th April St Brides, Pembrokeshire West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
29th April Menai Strait shore dive North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
12th-13th May Milford Haven BAP species diving West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
19th/20th May Treaddur Bay, Anglesey North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
20th May West Wales - qualifying dives South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
2nd/3rd June Cardigan Bay -
skate & ray egg search
North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
9th-10th June Seasearch Dive In -
All around the UK
National Coordinator - Chris Wood
9th-10th June Seasearch Dive In -
Aberystwyth & Cardigan Bay
West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
9th 10th June Seasearch Dive In - Gower South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
10th June Seasearch Dive In - Lleyn Peninsula North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
22nd-24th June Grassholme liveaboard South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
23rd June South Isle of Wight Hants/IOW Seasearch - Vicky Swales
23rd-24th June Skomer MNR urchin survey West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
7th-8th July Skomer MNR urchin survey West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
8th July Cardigan Bay - skate & ray egg search North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
20th-22nd July Pembrokeshire Offshore liveaboard South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
21st/22nd July Pwhelli North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
21st-22nd July Milford Haven BAP species diving West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
4th-5th August Aberystwyth & Cardigan Bay West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
11th/12th August Cardigan Bay -
skate & ray egg search
North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
18th-19th August West Wales - site to be confirmed West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
18th/19th August Amlwch, Anglesey North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
24th-26th August Lundy liveaboard (from Wales!) South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
7th-9th September Liveaboard South Wales -
sites to be confirmed
South Wales Seasearch - Vicki Howe
8th/9th September Lleyn Peninsula North Wales Seasearch - Paul Turkentine
15th-16th Sept North Pembrokeshire West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock


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:

  1. Diving qualification (and training agency).
  2. Date of and expiry of doctors medical examination or UK sport diver medical self-certification.
  3. 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.
  4. 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



Some useful photography web resources:

  1. Alan James Photography www.marine-cameras.com
  2. Underwater photography is a free web based magazine: www.uwpmag.com.
  3. www.wetpixel.com is a website dedicated to providing the latest information on digital, underwater photography.
  4. Digideep www.digideep.com Provides a permanent market overview of essential equipment.
  5. British society of underwater photographers [ BSOUP ] www.bsoup.org
  6. Nikon uk www.nikon.co.uk
  7. Canon uk www.canon.co.uk
  8. Paul williams Professional Photographic laboratory services.
    www.phoenix-imaging.com

 
SAA Club 349
 
Marine Conservation Society
 
Alan James Photography
 
British Society of Underwater Photographers
 
Wildlife Trust Marine Section
 
 
 
 
 
 
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