history and management

The voluntary marine nature reserve 

1969-1986

  • Heather and Ron Machin (Ilfracombe and North Devon Sub-Aqua Club) and John Lamerton (Nature Conservancy Council) wrote an article in February 1969 which was published in the BSAC magazine Triton proposing the setting up of marine nature reserves in British waters, following those established in warmer climes.
  • The island of Lundy was sold to the National Trust (to be managed by the Landmark Trust) in September 1969. At the time, Keith Hiscock, a keen diver and marine biology undergraduate, suggested to John Smith, Chairman of the Landmark Trust, that Lundy would make an ideal place to set up Britain’s first marine nature reserve. The suggestion went down favourably and Keith set to work on garnering support from fellow marine scientists and conservationists.
  • An article published in Journal of the Devon Trust for Nature Conservation in December 1969 by Heather Machin made the case of Lundy being a good candidate as a voluntary marine nature reserve.
  • In the summer of 1971, an expedition of marine biologists organised by Keith Hiscock studied aspects of littoral and sublittoral ecology around Lundy with the aim of assessing the scientific interest of the area (see Hiscock, 1971). The expedition was to mark the start of a decade of diving exploration and discovery, with marine scientists cataloguing the diversity of marine life present around the island (see section on Marine Scientific Research).
  • Lundy Marine Nature Reserve: A policy for the management of the shore and seabed around Lundy [authored by Keith Hiscock, Ian Grainger (Lundy Agent), John Lamerton (NCC), Colyear Dawkins and Tony Langham (LFS)] was published in the Annual Report of the Lundy Field Society for 1972. The writing and subsequent publication of this document is recognised as when the voluntary marine nature reserve came into being.
  • The voluntary marine nature reserve (vmnr) extended from Mean High Water Mark (Ordinary Spring Tides) to approximately 1 km offshore around the whole island. The specified area was intended to enclose most of the sublittoral rocky reefs and areas of muddy sediment which were the habitats of greatest nature conservation interest.

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Cutting from Nature (28 May 1971) publicising Britain’s first marine nature reserve.Cutting from Nature (28 May 1971) publicising Britain’s first marine nature reserve.

Voluntary Marine Nature Reserve MapMap of the voluntary marine nature reserve, as published in the Lundy Field Society Annual Report (Hiscock et al., 1972).

First Day Cover of four stamps celebrating the voluntary marine nature reserve, issued in October 1978. Depicted are a red band fish, a sea slug, two cup corals and a pink sea fan.First Day Cover of four stamps celebrating the voluntary marine nature reserve, issued in October 1978. Depicted are a red band fish, a sea slug, two cup corals and a pink sea fan.

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