Stour and Orwell - RSPB

[Whitebridges]

Extracted from an east anglian sea fishing website:

 

New code of conduct for baitdiggers, and other users of the mudflats on the Stour and Orwell estuaries

 

The number of birds that use the Stour and Orwell estuaries are internationally important so it’s critical that they are able to feed unhindered and find an abundance of food. One person or dog out on the mud can easily disturb birds, preventing them feeding and roosting. Running and flying away increases a bird’s energy expenditure and continual disturbance will eventually kill them.

 

Winter on our estuaries is no picnic, but for over 40,000 wildfowl and wading birds, the Stour and Orwell estuaries are a vital winter sanctuary - one that they make incredible journeys to reach each autumn. The birds are attracted by the teeming worms, snails and other tiny creatures that live in the mud and by our relatively mild climate. All they need is peace and quiet to get on with the important business of feeding and resting, but increased human activity is preventing them and bird numbers are in steep decline. This winter, a vital new initiative to reduce the disturbance pressure on the birds and to protect the food they eat will be launched on the Stour and Orwell Estuaries.

 

The Stour and Orwell are particularly vulnerable to human recreational pressure. Not only are they sandwiched between the large towns of Ipswich, Colchester, Harwich and Felixstowe and within reachable distance from London, they are also easy to access. As well as recreational use, the rivers are exploited commercially, and the food the birds depend on is being increasingly sought by professional bait diggers. A study commissioned in 2007 by the RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB Unit, identified bait diggers, dogs off leads at high tide and running on to mudflats at low tide, fast moving boats and gun shots as the main causes of bird disturbance.

 

The new code of conduct is the outcome of a series of meetings between conservationists, bait diggers and recreational users. A key element, agreed by bait diggers and anglers working with the Stour and Orwell Estuaries Management Group, is the voluntary closure of specific areas of mudflats between the 1st of November and the 30th of April to help to reduce the disturbance to birds and to allow worms to breed during the winter months.

 

It’s hoped that the new code will raise awareness of the disturbance issues and encourage more sustainable use of the two estuaries. However, there is no intention to make the rivers ‘off limits’ to people, or to stifle the enjoyment of these wild and beautiful wetlands. For example, bait digging for personal use is a legal activity and has been part of the cultural make up of the Stour and Orwell estuaries for centuries. The purpose of the voluntary closure is simply to limit disturbance to the birds and to protect their food supply – something that also benefits the bait diggers. However, the code also highlights the fact that commercial bait digging requires the consent of the landowner – something that is rarely requested at the moment.

 

For more information, please contact Trazar Astley-Reid, Suffolk Estuaries Officer on 01394 384948.

 

A copy of the new Code of Conduct can be downloaded from the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB web site.

 

 

 

Views welcomed especially from Suffolk/Essex lads.

 

Cheers all.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Whitebridges