Operation Seabird SW

Operation Seabird SW launched on 14/04/22 #OpSeabirdSW
Operation Seabird is a national initiative that aims to engage with the public, businesses, and community-based organisations to raise awareness about the sensitivities of our coastline and showing how simple changes can reduce pressure on our unique marine life and fragile habitats.
Operation Seabird SW is a partnership Project led by Devon and Cornwall Police and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
On 14/04/22 the MMO, Police, Cornwall Marine Coastal Code Group members (the National Trust, Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society) and the RSPCA all shared the first Operation Seabird national awareness day of 2022 across the two counties in W Cornwall, N and S Devon.
Our aim was to combine all resources from existing coastal partnerships, management schemes and enforcement agencies to create a network of knowledge and marine wildlife expertise. We all hope this collaborative approach will enable us all to tackle coastal wildlife crime, marine wildlife disturbance and antisocial behaviour around the coast effectively.

NT, Police, MMO, CWT, CSGRT, BDMLR and RSPCA

Volunteers and agencies join forces to protect marine wildlife

CSGRT’s People Protecting Precious Places Project Report from 2021, showed us that our seals can be disturbed up to every 22 mins in Cornwall, so we need to do all we can to help protect them.
It was wonderful to join forces and to get statutory support. This helped highlight the importance of us all taking action to look after our coastal inhabitants that attract so many visitors to our region each year. People arrive hoping to see a dolphin and leave happy having seen a seal.
Everyone was welcome and we had a great turnout, so members of the public were able to pick our collective brains about all our enigmatic marine wildlife. At the launch, lots of agency staff and volunteers were on hand to answer questions and give guidance on how we can all reduce the pressure on our important marine and coastal wildlife to better protect and conserve this critical habitat upon which we all rely for our own existence.

Huge thanks to everyone who turned out on the day to make this strategically important lunch a memorable and successful day!