Friday 18 November 2011

The Orwell Estuary

The Orwell estuary is protected by international legislation; we all have a moral and legal duty to ensure we do not harm these special intertidal habitats.  The Stour and Orwell Estuaries Management Group, local bait diggers and anglers have agreed on a voluntary code of conduct.  Following the code will mean better bait digging, more food and fewer disturbances for wading birds.  The seasonal closure of specified areas will allow for the worms’ breeding season between 1st November and the 30th of April. 

Today, during the co-ordinated low water waterbird count of the Stour and Orwell estuaries, I observed five bait diggers on the mudflats adjacent to the Orwell Bridge who were ignoring the ban.  This selfish action by these bait diggers not only flies in the face of other anglers and bait diggers who are abiding by the ban but all of the representatives from organisations who have spent many hours of their free time to come up with a negotiated way forward to better protect the mudflats, invertebrates and the wintering populations of waterbirds.
Beautiful estuary - no wading birds!
Posted by at

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous20 November 2011 at 09:57

    Hi Mick,
    I was wondering (not knowing anything about bait collection) how widely known the code of conduct is. Is it something every bait digger can't fail to be aware off or is more publicity required among the relevant parties?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mick Wright25 November 2011 at 07:13

    Hi Steve

    Thanks for making contact. More publicity is always useful.

    Todate we have posted laminated posters on the Stour and Orwell at all main access points for diggers and produced a voluntary code of practice which has been distributed in all tackle shops in essex and suffolk. We have had articles in the paper and fishing papers and radio etc.

    See also Coast and Heaths web pages.

    Mick

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous26 November 2011 at 10:09

    Hi Mick,

    Great to read your reply - thank you.

    It seems like a great deal of thought and effort has gone into publicising the code of conduct and I can only share your frustration at those that appear to be ignoring it. Lets hope that very quickly all bait diggers respect the code and its motives.

    Great blog by the way! I really enjoy your updates : - )

    Steve

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)