East Riding: Operation Seabird – protecting our marine birds and wildlife

The dramatic and rugged coastline of North East Yorkshire has for decades been the home to hundreds of thousands of nesting birds, choosing the chalk cliffs at Flamborough and Bempton as their summer breeding destination.

On these 100 feet high sheer chalk cliffs, fulmars, gannets, herring gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and puffins lay eggs and raise their young between March and September, each year.
 
Flamborough and Bempton are rare and precious places not only for birds but increasingly we are seeing dolphins offshore as well as growing seal populations and in partnership with North Yorkshire Police, ERYC, SBC, RSPB, RSPCA, the Flamborough Head European Marine Site Management Scheme and with the support of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and RNLI, Humberside Police are taking part in Operation Seabird.  An operation to raise awareness about the importance of our coastline and reduce water-borne disturbance to the sensitive wildlife between Scarborough and Bridlington.  
 

The operation launches today (Sunday 30 August) in Scarborough and our local officers will be on hand along the East Yorkshire coastline to support the initiative.
 
Wildlife and Heritage Crime Officer Rich Fussey said, “The Yorkshire coastline is a fantastic landscape that’s an important feeding and breeding ground for a variety of seabirds and marine mammals.

“This valuable asset not only attracts visitors to explore the beaches and cliffs, but also attracts those wishing to explore the coastal waters themselves.
 
“Unfortunately we have a number of reports each year of members of the public on the water, approaching too closely to the wildlife that live the area including the nesting seabirds and marine mammals.
 
“The disturbance of these important species can impact on the success of their breeding and also cause cetaceans* in particular, high levels of stress, which could lead to future issues such as stranding and injuries through impact with water craft.
 
“Op Seabird is a multi-agency partnership operation to educate the public about the importance of the resident wildlife and the impact that these disturbance events can cause.
 
“The key focus of the operation is to ensure that members of the public, who are using the waters along the Yorkshire coast, do so in a responsible way.  We want to ensure they keep their distance from the wildlife to prevent intentional disturbance and to safeguard this stretch of coastline, allowing future generations to enjoy the spectacle we see today.”

PC Adam Marshall, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “It’s a real privilege to have such diverse marine wildlife visiting and making its home on our stretch of coastline.

“That’s why it’s so important we all do our bit to protect it. By keeping disruption to an absolute minimum, we can help these animals thrive, and ensure future generations can enjoy their presence too.

“Following simple guidelines will ensure marine mammals and seabirds are kept safe and undisturbed. Operation Seabird is all about advising and educating people to behave responsibly around wildlife. We don’t want to resort to enforcement action, but won’t hesitate to do so if required.”

“Inspector Geoff Edmond who is the National Wildlife Coordinator for the RSPCA said: I welcome the opportunity to work alongside Humberside and North Yorkshire Police in partnership together to tackle this increasing and worrying rise in incidents. We are fortunate that dolphins are now regularly visiting the coast, porpoises are seen regularly and we are also fortunate to have a nationally important breeding seaboard population in our area. We want to encourage people to enjoy seeing them but when at sea to maintain a safe distance and low speed so they are not disturbed. I am encouraged by the support we have received from partner organisations to support the need for this type of operation. Working alongside the Police we hope to be able to encourage compliance with the guidelines however further action may be taken if necessary”

*A cetacean is a member of the family of large aquatic mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The word cetacean comes from the Latin word cetus, which was used to refer to any large sea creature, and the Greek word ketos, which was a sea monster or whale. (Don’t say you don’t learn something new every day!)
 

All pictures courtesy of Heather Davison-Smith, Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership Development Officer, (Flamborough Head European Marine Site Management Scheme) East Riding of Yorkshire Council – not to be used without permission