Marine Unit appeal to beach visitors and water-users

Our marine officers are asking visitors to our coasts to be aware of nesting birds on the beaches and take care not to disturb them.

The Marine Unit is in the midst of its annual Wave-Breaker operation to tackle anti-social behaviour and promote water safety along the Essex coast by encouraging all water-users to be aware of each other and to keep within speed limits.

Sergeant Alex Southgate says:

“We never want to stop people enjoying all the attractions our coast has to offer but we also want to ensure our valuable wildlife is protected for generations to come.
“Human activity can be a big threat to wading birds and sea birds and their nests, many of which are protected by legislation due to their vulnerability.
“We are keen to raise awareness of how sensitive some of these sites are and ask people to avoid landing on the beaches where there are signs asking them not to and consider the disturbance they may cause from the water, whether that’s a PWC or a kitesurfer.”

Alex recently went out on patrol along the River Colne to Point Clear and nearby Colne Point Nature Reserve with Adam Nixon, Essex Wildlife Trust’s coastal recovery officer, and Leanne Brisland, from the Bird Aware Essex Coast group, who want to highlight the issues faced by birds along the coast.

Both work with the RSPB to protect and raise awareness of beach-nesting birds across Essex and the dangers they can face from activity on land and in the water.

Adam explains:

“We're trying to raise awareness in the hope that whenever people are out on remote beaches, they keep these birds in mind.
“Walking close to the water and sticking to dedicated landing zones are two great ways to help out these birds to avoid disturbing and trampling their nests and give these birds the best shot at recovering.
“Little terns, oystercatchers and ringed plovers lay their eggs high up the beach on the sand and shingle of some of Essex's remote beaches. The birds are very prone to disturbance, fleeing their eggs and chicks whenever there is danger.
“As well as dealing with natural pressures, such as tides and predators, we have seen a huge increase in human disturbance. Dogs off leads, low-flying planes, recreational boating and water sports too close to shore all can cause the birds to flee.
“The longer they're away from the eggs the more likely it is they will fail. It's estimated we've lost between 70 and 90% of these birds over the past 100 years and we're in real danger of losing them from our coasts completely.”

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