James Chubb

Credit Where its Due

There are times when you are required to recognise a fabulous achievement and give recognition to those who deserve it. This is just such a time, and this column is the perfect space for just such an acknowledgement.

All too often conservationists seem to be in conflict, but on this occasion co-operation and shared ambitions have led to a mutually beneficial solution that seems to be working. I refer of course to the voluntary exclusion zone on the Exe Estuary, something which I started work on three years ago with the watersports community at large and which has seen a tangible success this autumn thanks to the efforts of a few key local individuals.

There was some degree of scoffing, cynicism even, about the value of a ‘voluntary’ agreement, and yet it would seem to be working; take a look for yourselves. The initial problem was having a credible voice within the group I needed to communicate with, and this credibility came with the support of Eric and Steph Bridge of Edge Watersports and Pete Manfield of Waterfront Sports. Both these businesses helped spread the message of the zone and critically the need for the zoning, throughout the various water users. Their vocal support carried a weight I couldn’t hope to.

But the real trump card came this September, when Eric strode manfully out into the mud to put four yellow marker buoys in place to mark out the exclusion zone on the water. A simple, yet very effective solution. Even though kitesurfers, windsurfers, kayakers and a host of other people enjoying the water knew about the area, with nothing to tell them where on the water it started, it was very hard to adhere to.

Now the Local Nature Reserve has its four lovely yellow buoys bobbing in the water, and I would like to say a very big “Thank You” to everyone who is observing their presence. They will disappear at the beginning of January, as the brent geese will have theoretically finished feeding in this part of the estuary and everyone can relax and get back to normal, and will reappear in September 2010 to ensure another critical period proceeds without disturbance.

The best thing about this solution is that the birds are visibly benefitting from the extra space afforded them by the zone, and are tolerant of kites on the water as long as they remain outside the zone. So the two things – watersports and birds – can co-exist at the same time, as long as they are in different spaces. How about that?

The need for this space comes from the fact that the Estuary is Internationally important for its winter bird numbers and disturbance can have a catastrophic impact on bird flocks. Repeated flushing of a flock of water birds can show no visible effect, until it’s too late. The accumulated effect of repeat disturbance can lead to widespread death of birds as they succumb to the combined effects of energy wasting and loss of feeding time. These effects are particularly pronounced in periods of extreme cold weather, but can happen at any time with enough impact. So to make sure that people’s enjoyment of our stunning estuary was not leading to the unnecessary death of wild birds, the seasonal perimeter was drawn up and came into effect.

Whether you happen to enjoy bird watching or are totally disinterested in these particular brent geese, I would hope that the reasoning behind safeguarding them is not lost on you. A small inconvenience at a certain time of year will ensure that Exmouth continues to provide a winter home for these International wanderers.

There aren’t many towns which can boast a winter spectacle of this significance, protecting it is our collective responsibility. What an impact we can have if we all pull together, well done Exmouth!