A Group to oversee the management of the Marine Nature Reserve was first proposed at a meeting of all interested parties in November 1985, when provisions for the proposed statutory Marine Nature Reserve were discussed.
The Group was initially called the Lundy Marine Consultation Group, though after a number of name changes, since 2014 it has been known as the Lundy Marine Protected Area Advisory Group. The Group meets to discuss the developments, project proposals and the on-going management of the Marine Protected Area. The meetings also provide an opportunity for any issues or concerns to be raised and addressed.
Membership of the Group is open to anyone with a genuine interest in the waters around the island. Meetings typically take place twice a year in the spring (April) and the autumn (October), with attendance now being in person or on-line. The aims of the Group (as agreed in 1985) are:
- To provide a nucleus of expertise on the marine habitats and waters surrounding Lundy:
- To provide a forum for exchanging views on present and proposed activities around Lundy;
- To safeguard the interests of all those who use the waters around Lundy and its natural resources; and
- To advise the Lundy Management Forum with regard to the Marine Protected Area.
Current representation on the Lundy MPA Advisory Group:
| Organisation represented |
|---|
| Appledore Sub-Aqua Club |
| Devon Wildlife Trust |
| Charter boats (for divers, snorkellers, anglers etc.) |
| Devon & Severn IFCA |
| Historic England |
| Ilfracombe & N. Devon Sub-Aqua Club |
| Ilfracombe Aquarium |
| Landmark Trust/Lundy Company |
| Lundy Company/Island Conservation Team |
| Lundy Field Society |
| Marine Biological Association |
| MARINElife |
| Natural England |
| North Devon Biosphere |
| North Devon Coastwise |
| North Devon Fishermen’s Association |
| Sea Watch Foundation |
Many topics have been discussed at Group meetings over the years. They can be categorised under the following headings:
- Fishing activities (including: too many pots being set within the MPA and possible means of limiting the number of pots; introducing a No Fishing Area; the marking of pot buoys; introducing the No Take Zone and its subsequent monitoring; illegal fishing within the No Take Zone).
- Diving-related activities (including: the Code of Conduct; survey work; illegal anchoring at the Knoll Pins; provision of seaflex moorings; charter skippers acting as deputy wardens; involvement of local dive clubs; Splash In! photography competitions; development of Protected Wreck Days – guide-led introductions to the island’s historic wrecks).
- Management-related activities (including: initiatives from NCC/English Nature/Natural England/ DSFC/D&SIFCA and the island/Landmark Trust; Management Plans; adoption of the Marine Awareness Scheme for charter boat skippers and crews hosted by the North Devon Biosphere; disturbance of grey seals by snorkellers).
- Matters outside the MPA (including: dumping of sewage sludge in Bideford Bay; aggregate extraction from the Bristol Channel; development of the Atlantic Array windfarm to the north of the island; inclusion of the Lundy MPA within the Outer Bristol Channel SAC).
All meetings are minuted and all previous minutes of the Advisory Group are available here for the use of researchers and other interested parties. Note that in more recent years, a separate Warden’s report is also available. Reports are added to this resource approximately 12 months after each meeting.
The main points raised during each Advisory Group meeting are brought to the attention of the Lundy Management Forum via verbal reports presented by the Group’s Secretary. The Group’s Secretary (currently Robert Irving) also produces a short report of each year’s discussion topics which is published in the Lundy Field Society’s Annual Report. Links to these reports can be found in the Bibliography.
