The Marine Conservation Society has been highlighting the serious issues affecting our seas at a public debate in North Wales to an audience which included fishermen and university students.
The SeaQuarium in Rhyl, with help from Anglesey Sea Zoo, hosted the event at which MCS spoke about it’s campaign to protect our coastal waters - the ‘Your Seas Your Voice’ project http://www.yourseasyourvoice.com
‘Your Seas Your Voice’ is where the public can have their say on the potential locations of marine protected areas (MPA's). The website allows visitors to vote for or against 73 MCS suggested sites or to nominate their own.
75 people from across North Wales attended the Rhyl event. They were from a variety of backgrounds including industry, public bodies and local politicians as well as representatives from Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Local MP, Chris Ruane (Labour) highlighted some of his concerns for our seas and talked about the questions he had raised in parliament relating to the local marine environment.
MCS Biodiversity Officer, Jean-Luc Solandt, told the audience about the growing success of marine protected areas around the world. He introduced the ‘Your Seas Your Voice’ campaign website and explained how it provided a mouthpiece for the public to have their say on how and where they would like to see UK coastal waters protected.
Other speakers included MCS Welsh Project Officer, Gill Bell, who talked about the Welsh perspective of MPA's and why they are so vital for the secure future of coastal waters off the principality. Emily Hardman from the Irish Seas Conservation Zones project told the meeting about the planned development of Marine Conservation Zones in the Irish Sea. Rachel Ball of the National Museum in Liverpool highlighted why Marine Protected Areas are essential for certain species of fish, in particular skates and rays which have suffered massive declines in the Irish Seas in recent decades.
Iolo Williams, a popular Welsh natural history presenter, who has filmed extensively throughout the province both for S4C and BBC explained how, during the filming of his latest series, his eyes had been opened to the wealth of beautiful marine life off the shores of Wales.
SeaQuariaum Displays manager Paul Tyson said, “I’m over the moon at how successful the event was. The staff at the aquarium have worked rally hard to ensure the day was a success and I’m so pleased that we have helped to raise the profile of the ‘Your Seas Your Voice’ campaign for what is an issue of real importance and urgency.
‘Your Seas Your Voice’ is your way of voicing the concerns you have for our seas and registering a vote on what areas of the country you would like to see protected.
MCS’s Jean-Luc Solandt said he was delighted with the event “The impressive turnout at Rhyl demonstrates how much the seas and their ability to provide jobs and livelihoods, is of utmost importance to the people of north Wales - as is the task of conserving wildlife for the future.”
To register your vote or find out more about the campaign, just go on line at www.mcsuk.org
