Severn Tidings 16
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Issue 16 Summer 2014 SevernTidings Working in partnership for the future of the Severn Estuary www.severnestuary.net Inside... Estuary Group Updates Recreational Sea Angling The Green Guide for The Estuary - Marinas The Severn Bore Sabrina Dreaming Hopes for Sustainable Past, Present Eels Magnox Power Stations Hinkley Point C Project Overview and Future Seabank 3 Power Station Harnessing the Power of the Tides The SS Belgia and German Capture Monmouthshire Shipbuilding in WWI Funding Partners Update Severn Estuary Forum © Richard Norman Welcome! Dr Rhoda Ballinger Severn Estuary Partnership Management Group Welcome to the Working in Partnership summer 2014 edition of Severn Tidings – The past year has been a busy one for development of government policies focusing on the the Severn Estuary marine and coastal sector. This looks set to continue for the foreseeable future as increasing Partnership’s newsletter demand for resources puts sustainable development at centre stage. As policies develop, the which brings together news from around the Estuary and from the Partnership’s Severn Estuary Partnership continues to plays an important role in the management of the supporters. We are delighted to showcase Severn Estuary, keeping you abreast of changes and ensuring that your views are represented. a wide range of articles in this edition, The Partnership is pleased to introduce several to be an exciting and engaging event dealing including the Severn Bore, sustaining eel new members of staff. Shelley Vince became with climate change, estuary planning, energy stocks, the Estuary’s role in WWI and the the new SEP and ASERA officer in February and generation and local issues. Further details latest information on a variety of energy is working to raise the profile and develop the regarding the event can be found on page 12 generation schemes. The issue also includes work of the SEP, providing support to various and on our website http://www.severnestuary. regular features and updates relating to the pan-estuary groups as well as completing net/sep/forum.html work of the Partnership, Estuary groups and the ASERA Recreation Study of land and our funding partners. water-based recreation for the Severn Estuary Engaging with stakeholders and keeping European Marine Site. In July, SEP welcomed informed of Estuary developments is, as always, The Severn Estuary is dynamic and Emma Evans and Emma Waddington. Both keeping us busy! The Partnership continues to diverse with huge value to the economy, graduated this year from Cardiff University with work closely with government and government environment and society. The Severn a MESci in Marine Geoscience. Emma Evans is departments such as Natural Resources Wales Estuary Partnership is always busy assisting with organising the Severn Estuary and Natural England to input into the formation promoting sustainable management of Forum and is also assisting with stakeholder of estuary related policies and plans. As part of the Severn Estuary, and over the past year communication, helping with the research this close liaison, the Partnership is currently this role has taken on many forms. This and distributing of both e-news and Severn working directly with the Welsh Government as a member of the Wales Marine Strategy has included facilitating communication Tidings. Emma Waddington is reviewing and Advisory Group where, through collaborative between stakeholders at Joint Advisory updating the State of the Severn Estuary working and co-production, we are providing Committee (JAC) meetings, acting as a (SOSER) webpages on various topics including effective and meaningful engagement into coordinating body by working closely with the Water Framework Directive, coastal erosion and flooding, and tourism. programmes including Marine Planning and and providing secretariat services to many Marine Protected Areas. There is currently Estuary wide groups, assisting our partners The Severn Estuary Partnership is excited to no news on when the Marine Management and stakeholders with project work, and announce the launch of their ‘Estuary’ web Organisation (MMO) will begin Marine Planning promoting and publicising the Estuary which went live on the Partnership website for the South West region but we are pleased to through events such as the Severn Estuary on 31 March 2014: http://www.severnestuary. have the MMO speaking at the Severn Estuary Forum. net/sep/estuary.html With 13 updated sections Forum on 16th September 2014 to provide from the State of the Severn Estuary Report insight into their approach. The Severn Estuary Partnership is also (2011), these web pages provide users with working very closely with Government to easily accessible, accurate and up-to-date Key priorities for SEP over the coming year develop policies for the management of information on a wide range of themes from include refreshing the Strategy for the Severn our marine area covering matters including ports and shipping to water quality. If you Estuary, updating of the Partnership’s Strategic Marine Planning, Marine Protected Areas, want to know how many tonnes of sand and Business Plan, developing the SEP website and Coastal Access and the Marine Strategy gravel are landed each year around the Estuary communications, and collaborating with various Framework Directive. or you just want to explore aspects of the estuary stakeholders on a range of projects. archaeology of the area, the new SEP pages are Good progress has already been made with As you can see it has been a busy year for for you! SEP, with the help of our partners, is developing SEP’s communications including our the development of Marine Policy with SEP currently reviewing and updating most of the new look monthly e-news. If you aren’t already playing a vital role uniting stakeholders and theme pages including aggregate dredging, receiving it please sign up on our website to facilitating communication. This would not bathing waters and freshwater inputs. This stay up to date on the latest Partnership and be possible without the dedicated support annual review should be completed and the Estuary news, policy updates, consultations and of our partners so I would like to take this website updated by the end of September 2014. upcoming events. If you have any information opportunity to thank you for your continued If you want to contribute new information or or news that you think should be included in support of the Severn Estuary Partnership. If ideas for the ‘Estuary’ web please get in touch our e-news please get in touch at severn@ cardiff.ac.uk. you have suggestions for articles that could at [email protected]. be included in future editions of Severn On 21st May the Severn Estuary Partnership If you would like to stay up to date with the Tidings, or would like to sponsor a more held its Joint Estuaries Day in Cardiff. This work of Partnership and guide its work, become specialised edition, please get in touch. brought together stakeholders from a range a member. Membership provides access to of estuary groups. The day included a Joint a broad range of statutory, non-statutory, Advisory Committee meeting and a fascinating industrial and recreational user groups, and presentation from the Environment Agency on delivers a strategic estuary–wide view on issues, the 2014 storms. I would like to thank all those policies and proposals for action. Further details who attended and made it such a successful about becoming a member can be found on our and thought-provoking day. website: http://www.severnestuary.net/sep/ partnership/membership.html The partnership hosted a successful annual Severn Estuary Forum in Gloucester on 17th I hope you enjoy this issue of Severn Tidings October 2013 which covered a number of and I look forward to welcoming you to the diverse topics, including the upper estuary and 2014 Severn Estuary Forum in Cardiff on 16th renewable energy possibilities. Don’t forget, September. this year’s Forum will be held in Cardiff on 16th September and will focus on ‘Our Estuary: Shelley Vince SEP staff from left to right: Emma Waddington, Shelley Severn Estuary Partnership Officer Vince, Emma Evans and Gwilym Owen Challenges and Opportunities’. This promises 2 News in Brief, an Estuary Round up The Association of Severn Estuary Relevant Authorities (ASERA) ASERA is made up of the statutory ASERA has created a Management Scheme existing data on the geographic distribution and intensity of land and water based organisations around the Severn to set the framework within which activities (controlled by competent or relevant recreation has been collated and processed Estuary that collectively manage authorities) are managed in ways compatible into a GIS map to allow assessment of whether their activities on the Severn Estuary with the nature conservation objectives of the recreational activities are likely to cause significant disturbance to SAC and SPA habitats European Marine Site which covers site. This Management Scheme is not a static document but an ongoing process that aids and species. Over the coming year, following the marine areas of both the Special decision making and continually evolves to take this assessment, the Management Scheme Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special account of changing information on activities, and Action Plans will be revised to reflect the new data, and if necessary, will advise on what issues, management practices and legal Protection Area (SPA), which are types of recreation and which specific locations obligations. Over the past year ASERA has been require precautionary management measures. protected under the EC Habitats and working to fill gaps and improve knowledge and Birds Directives. understanding of uses of the Estuary. New and Shelley Vince, ASERA Officer Bristol Channel Standing Environment Group (BCSEG) Further work by the BCSEG on improving the Group’s meeting in May this year to resume The BCSEG website provides a general the multi-agency preparedness for a marine its work programme.