Education Conservation Areas in Beachy Head West MCZ

 

Sussex IFCA we are currently looking at a couple of our byelaws that are due for review. One is the Beachy Head West (BHW) MCZ. At this stage we are in the process of gathering evidence for said review, and we hoped you would be able to offer some insight into the use of the Education Conservation Areas (ECAs). 

 Below is a document with some questions regarding the two ECAs which are aimed at assessing whether or not they are proving useful as an engagement / education tool, and if not how we can address this. If you have time, I wonder if you could please complete the questions and email it back to me? It would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Angharad Purcell

Senior Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Officer

a.purcell@sussex-ifca.gov.uk

There are two Education Conservation Areas (ECAs) inside the Beachy Head West (BHW) MCZ; Friars Bay and Birling Gap. The ECAs tie in with the marine sections of the South Downs National Park and Living Coast Biosphere Reserve. As part of the MCZ Byelaw review, we are interested to know how well the ECAs are being used, and if they are not being used, how we can address this.

We have a few questions about your current awareness and use of the ECAs, which we hope will help guide us in the better utilisation of these ECAs.

1. Are you aware of designated Education Conservation Areas in BHW MCZ? (Locations shown in the figure below)

2. Are you aware that the Education Conservation Areas (Friars Bay and Birling Gap) are intertidal no take zones inside the BHW MCZ? (No take zones are areas protected from direct human disturbance and where no extractive activity can occur at all. Extractive activity is any action that removes any resource.)

Research within these no-take ECAs can help to improve understanding of the species that exist when there is no intertidal gathering at all. These no-take zones could potentially prove to be more diverse and have increased abundance when compared to areas of the MCZ where intertidal gathering can still occur.

3. Are you using the Education Conservation Areas and if yes, how?

4.  Have you conducted any surveys in the ECAs or aware of any that have taken place?

5. Are you aware of any other stakeholders, i.e., school trips or rock poolers using the areas?

6. If you are not using the ECAs, are there any resources or further information that would help you to start utilising them?

6.a. Are there any resources we can provide as engagement / education tools?

In partnership with Sussex Wildlife Trust, we have a FSC BHW MCZ specific ID guide available. This is a very useful quick reference basic field guide. This guide can be made available for organisations / groups that might be interested in using the resource to aid any research, studies, education within the MCZ.

Would you be interested in using this guide? If so, how many would you require and who do you foresee using the guide?

10. The ECAs are good sites for repeat visit surveys, particularly for comparison with surveys conducted outside the ECAs but still within the MCZ. Would we be able to offer any help with surveys if you thought this might be something you would start?
11. Are there any other organisations or teams internally, who you think these questions on ECAs might be relevant to?
12. Do you have any additional comments regarding the ECA’s?

Please send your response to a.purcell@sussex-ifca.gov.uk