News items
Plans for more wind farms in the Solway
- Consultation in Dumfries and Galloway on 6th August, more information here
A new draft report by the Scottish Government has identified sites in the Solway as part of its plans for the generation of renewable wind energy in Scotland. The report, Draft Plan for Offshore Wind Energy In Scottish Territorial Waters, identifies 5 possible sites for new wind farm developments in the Solway and Wigtown bay area, in addition to the two proposed in January 2009 by the Crown Estate at Wigtown Bay and adjacent to Robin Rigg. No final decisions on the suitability of any of these areas have yet been made, as the Draft Plan is now open for a period of public and stakeholder consultation. Consultees are now invited to share their views on the best options for offshore wind energy development, as well as areas where they wish to see greater restrictions. The consultation closes on August 16th 2010 - more information about how you can respond to these is available here.
UK Government publish plans for marine management
Three documents have been published (21st July 2010) by the UK Government that will set out the policy objectives for UK governments in managing the UK seas, introducing marine planning and streamlining licensing. The new systems will help the management of marine activities, such as providing energy, which contribute around £47 billion to the UK economy; ensure on-going environmental protection of our seas; and give coastal communities a voice in the future uses of their marine environment. The draft UK Marine Policy Statement is the first step in this new marine planning system, which sets the direction for the use of our seas and shapes marine plans and licensing decisions, and has been developed jointly with the Devolved Administrations. The document sets out specific policy objectives the UK Government and Devolved Administrations are seeking to achieve in the UK marine area to achieve the vision of clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse seas and oceans. The marine planning system consultation will be led in England by the recently created Marine Management Organisation (MMO) with other interested organisations, and aims to develop a comprehensive marine planning capability that will deliver a world-leading, integrated approach to marine management. The consultation on marine licensing is designed to create a more effective, streamlined and transparent system, which would start in April 2011. Together with marine planning, the new licensing system will provide a clearer, more straightforward way for developers to take forward their marine projects in a sustainable way while protecting the environment, human health and other users of the sea.
The three documents are
The Marine Policy Statement can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-policy/index.htm
The Marine Planning System consultation can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-planning/index.htm
A new Marine Licensing System consultation can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-licensing-system/index.htm
(from Defra press release 21.7.10)
Beach Blitz makes a ton!
As part of the recent World Oceans Week 2010 Celebrations, NSA (Dumfries and Galloway) Ranger Ian Brown organised a Beach Blitz, a week of beach cleans which removed the rubbish from 7 Dumfries and Galloway beaches, comprising some 7.5 km shore line, of over one ton of litter. The majority of the rubbish was plastic waste, with a large number of car and lorry tyres also being cleared. Ian's hard-working team was made up of a total of 97 volunteers who made their way from Southerness in the east to Port William in the west of the region during the week. For more information on how you can help with beach cleans in your area please see our 'How you can help the Solway' page.
Fishing for Litter goes south!
For the first time, a Scottish vessel has deposited a bag of litter in a harbour participating in the Fishing For Litter South West scheme. The Susan Bird (FD 357), skippered by Steven Girgan and based in Kirkcudbright, landed the bag in Newlyn Harbour last week. The bag contained a variety of items including a large amount of rope and plastic. Tom Piper of the Fishing For Litter project is delighted with the news and commented "This news shows that the modern transient fishing fleet welcomes a wide network of Fishing For Litter ports and we are working hard to increase our coverage in 2011." Find out more about Fishing For Litter.
Tidelines
The latest edition of Tidelines available is Issue 33, Summer/Autumn 2010. Download this and its E-On insert, plus previous issues, from our downloads page. Tidelines is the newsletter of the Solway Firth Partnership and is available free by post, or we can email it directly to you. To receive Tidelines please contact us at info@solwayfirthpartnership.co.uk and let us know how you would like to receive Tidelines (by post or electronically).
New reserve for RSPB at Crook of Baldoon
RSPB Scotland is buying more than 370 acres of saltmarsh and floodplain at the Crook of Baldoon in Dumfries and Galloway to create a new nature reserve. Scottish Natural Heritage is providing £200,000 towards the cost and RSPB Scotland needs a further £525,000. The site is considered important for tens of thousands of wintering wildfowl and wading birds including whooper swans, pink-footed geese, golden plovers, barnacle geese and peregrine falcons.Dumfries and Galloway Environmental Resources Centre news
Dumfries and Galloway Environmental Resources Centre has re-launched a local wildlife watchers forum to enable people to share their news and views with others. The new forum is part of 'Yahoo! Groups', which some of you may be familiar with (the local Dumfries & Galloway Birding group uses the same system). Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dgercforum/ and click to join the group. You can also sign up to the DGERC's free E-NEWSLETTER to find out about the latest local wildlife news, sightings, events and training courses at http://www.dgerc.org.uk/?q=news/enewsletter
England's Coastal Path - the journey begins
The new Marine and Coastal Access Act creates clear and consistent public rights along the English coast for most types of open-air recreation on foot. The Act places a duty on Natural England to use its powers to secure twin objectives for coastal access. The first is a long-distance route (or routes) around the English coast: and the second is access to a margin of land in association with the route where people will be able to spread out and explore, rest or picnic in appropriate places.
The Act also required Natural England to consult on and then to publish a coastal access Scheme**, describing how NE will align the route and the associated ‘spreading room’, and the ways in which access will be managed to minimise conflicts with other land uses. It is the blueprint that will be used on each leg of the journey, as an all-England coast path is developed stretch by stretch around the country. The Scheme was approved by the Secretary of State on 23rd March 2010.
Formal approval of the Scheme means that it is now possible to begin work on implementing the very first stages of the coastal path – planned on a stretch of coast near Weymouth, in order to have the new rights in place there in time for the 2012 Olympics. Implementation is then due to start next year (2011) in 5 other areas – Cumbria, East Riding, Kent, Norfolk and Somerset.
At the moment, up here we expect the first stretch of coast to be worked on to be from the Scottish Border to Whitehaven. We anticipate a structured programme of public information, with a variety of mechanisms supported by Natural England, Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority (as work moves South of Whitehaven), and other interested parties, to prepare the County for practical implementation on the ground beginning in late 2011 or early 2012.
** a copy of the Scheme can be viewed at http://naturalengland.etraderstores.com/NaturalEnglandShop/NE269
Download Defra's latest marine planning newsletter
Defra's latest marine planning newsletter contains information on the draft MPS discussion paper, the public consultation on Marine Licensing Enforcement and details of workshops in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. It can be downloaded from our downloads page. See here for more information.Smothering Sea Squirt reaches Scotland
A highly invasive marine species, the sea squirt Didemnum vexillum, has appeared in Scottish waters for the first time. The colonial ascidian has been spreading around the world in recent years, colonizing marine structures, ships’ hulls, and natural marine habitats. This marine alien brings with it potentially high economic impacts as it is highly invasive, spreading and reproducing rapidly, and can affect marinas, fisheries and aquaculture as it tends to smother any substrate on which it establishes.
Users of the Solway are urged to keep their eyes open for this alien species. More information is available on the Scottish Association for Marine Science web site.
Solway Energy Gateway.
A Feasibility Group has been established to investigate the possibility of a range of renewable tidal energy technologies, including a proposed barrage across the Solway between Annan and Bowness-on-Solway. The barrage would harness the tidal power of the Solway and transform it into renewable energy which could possibly be fed into the National Grid through the Chapelcross system. For more information about the project and the meeting see here, or visit the Solway Energy Gateway web site here
Waste Aware Scotland - reduce your home waste!
Beach litter is a huge problem on the Solway. We can all help do our bit in helping to reduce the amount of litter generated by reducing the amount of waste we produce at home. WRAP Scotland helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For more information or leaflets please email advisor@wrap.org.uk
WRAP, in partnership with Waste Aware Scotland, is currently promoting a home composting project; reduce the amount of kitchen waste and other compostable items you send to landfill with your own, subsidised cost, compost bin, see here for more information on how to buy a compost bin for just £6, and great composting tips. And learn how you can reduce landfill, cut greenhouse gas emissions AND save money with the Love Food Hate Waste campaign here
Electrofishing
There have been concerns that electrofishing for razorshells has been taking place in the