Yesterdays MCZ Netgain meeting

[loopy]

Stores must get the name right . The region thing is an internal policy of AT for the regional representation of RSA if you are a member. Our region for AT is Northumberland & Durham I believe but could be wrong on that, I know Yorkshire has it's own AT representation.
Alan the concept of the exercise is data, the minute the government know how many of us exist the statisticians can start playing games, So we must be prepared with our own data. Paying for it will be a way down the line yet I hope, but look at the fines the new Act can dish out, 5K I guess I would register for free, it is not often you can beat the system but we got to give them a good run for our money. All this is some time away but as the Boy Scouts say "Be prepared" all the tree buggers are, that should read huggers.

[sam harris]

The North East region of the Angling Trust is Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Cleveland.
At the last Net Gain meeting I made the comment on the table I was on that I believed that all of the M.C.Z.s had already been decided and these meetings were just a smoke screen, nobody argued with me. I also said that it would be interesting to see the final decided areas and how they compared with what had been agreed in the meetings, this comment was met with silence.

[loopy]

Net Gain’s last North East meeting

I attended the last round of hub meetings prior to the consultation going to Natural England and finally government and then another public consultation.


The Wednesday meeting was about management measures and reference areas (no human activity) within the inshore MCZ in our area.

1. River Aln estury MCZ

2. Coquet to St Mary MCZ

3. Farne Deeps MCZ



It was agreed that all RSA activity had a low impact on the Aln MCZ and no management measures would be needed. (No reference area)

Coquet to St Mary as above (No reference area)

Farne Deeps MCZ has a reference area and mainly effects commercial fishermen, the area was reduced in size as was the reference area but the implications are that management measures may be implemented regarding benthic trawling.

Regarding reference areas we have one for Rocky habitat on the inshore intertidal area and it was agreed to place it from the Scottish boarder down past Marshalls Meadows and along towards just before the caravan park at Berwick, Sharpeners point. This seemed to me the best deal we could get far better than Huaxley ! It appears to me most of this reference area is inaccessible due to the cliffs; I have walked some of the area at Marshalls meadows today and was unable to find a way down. I am sure someone will correct me. There will be no reference area on the Durham coast as per a rumour going around.

There are 15 Broad Scale Habitats left to reference that Lincolnshire and Norfolk, Suffolk will have to try and accommodate.We had a steer to and try site one for intertidal sand in our area we could not reach consensus on this and therefore it will go elsewhere.

So far so good under the circumstances. Anyone wishing more detail please contact me via PM or E-Mail.

I will keep you updated on the final two day large group meeting in Hull to be held in July.

Just for your information article 55 formerly 47 will go on the European Statue book this weekend.

I will update you on this when I know more and how it will affect us.

For those of you interested.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:112:FULL:EN:PDF

[Topfly]

Thanks again Les.

[Stores]

Yes, our thanks Les. Couple of points, if you wouldn't mind...............

The decisions you came to - how set in stone are they (could they be over ruled as the process moves from consultation to NE to Government)?

What response was there from those around the table (if there were any) representing the Marshall Meadow / Berwick area? There are some cracking winter and summer shots in the area - can't imagine they'll be chuffed.



Oh and yes you can get either around to the marks (nasty walk) or down the cliff (how's your rope work lol).

I pinched this off WSF - it shows how serious Natural England believe we affect the shoreline (and it's easy to read)

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/MCZ-regional-guidance_tcm6-23451.pdf

[Red5]

Cheers again Les....AND Stores....Just as a thought....Have you two ever thought of working together?

[broony]

Thanks very much for this.

So although there is no measures regarding RSA in the first two areas, what measures are likely to take place in these areas?

[Charlton]

David, NE and JNCC get the last say on all matters, if they don't like what is put forward they can change everything. Broony all i can say is, we will have to wait and see.

[Stores]

Thanks very much for this.

So although there is no measures regarding RSA in the first two areas, what measures are likely to take place in these areas?

‘Each broad-scale habitat type and FOCI should have at least one viable reference area within each of the four regional MCZ project areas where all extraction, deposition or human-derived disturbance is removed or prevented.’

Definitions also cover activities that occur outside of the reference area, but which may impact upon the feature(s) within. This means that they will be areas where all extractive, depositional and/or disturbing and damaging activities are excluded.

Both quotes taken from the JNCC document.

If JNCC have the final say then Alan, for me, that means the Berwick stretch is untouchable and it may not mean that the first two stretches are safe yet. Put another way you had more access to the shoreline during World War 2 than you'll have soon.

[Charlton]

If we come out of this with only what has been fought for designated and very little management on the reference area those who fought the battle should have a big pat on the back.

[Stores]

If we come out of this with only what has been fought for designated and very little management on the reference area those who fought the battle should have a big pat on the back.

Am I right in thinking that if we "win" in the sense of, say, Coquet to St Marys not being designated that, in order to satisfy EU directives, somewhere else has to be chosen, in order to fulfill their quota?

If that's the case then, yes you're right Alan, those responsible (and we can count you lot on one hand) do deserve a pat on the back but if it means somewhere else just as productive as "our bit" gets hit then we need to be quite canny and very specific where we might persuade those that matter where that hit area might be - surely the loss of, say, Lindisfarne / Budle Bay would be better than Berwick.

Just a thought to stimulate debate.

[Stores]

Not much debating then...................... I've replied to "Your Seas, Your Voice" for a while now. Copied this from an e-mail they sent me:

It is important to understand that the MCZ Project's final recommendations may be different to suggestions put forward by the 'Your Seas, Your Voice' campaign. It is the MCZ Project that will be sending the final recommendations later this year to the independent Science Advisory Panel, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England.

Having read some of the political stuff from other sites it might be that the sh** will hit the fan sooner rather than later.

World Sea Fishing Forums

[loopy]

Sorry for the delay in replying but have been up to Kielder for a few days.
Ok David as you know the decisions are not set in stone but if they reach the requirements already set out by the Ecological Network Guidance (the rules and guidelines from NE) and the first few iterations have been accepted by the scientific Advisory panel as such and the steer on the last meeting was similar, I can not see it changing radically. We have one last chance to tidy all the lose ends up, of which I am sure they will be a few,at a two day large group meeting in Hull. Regarding Marshall meadows there were no other RSA representatives at the meeting and for that community (rocky) it appeared our best option the others were unthinkable but as you can imagine some of the other groups wanted them around the Coquet to St Marys for all sorts of reasons. Despite the campaign from the MCS your seas your voice, don't forget it is just a charity and a big dive club they have not got there extreme way and as it stands it appears to have some balance. When it returns to JNCC and NE there will be another public consolation by government. The threat of judicial review by some commercial fishermen and the voice to the consultees I hope will keep that balance and as RSA that have consulted we at least have a voice and one they now know is involved and does have sound argument. To much Going litter picking.

[Red5]

Cheers for that Les ....There seemed to be a load of folk, around the bend of the estuary last night...wondered if there was a flounder match on...Had to keep me eyes on the road though so couldn't be sure.

[loopy]

Yes Rory a summer league match that's when the club the found the angling related rubbish. What can you do but go and pick it up yourself, the dirty selfish illegitimate morons.