The extension of the Poole Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will see a further 1,800 hectares (ha) of land and sea brought within the site to help protect the entire harbour – an increase of 40 per cent.
One of the country’s best-loved coasts will be better protected following the expansion of a major wildlife protection area in Dorset.
Natural England has confirmed the extension of the Poole Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The move will see a further 1,800 hectares (ha) of land and sea brought within the site to help protect the entire harbour – an increase of 40 per cent. It is the first SSSI specifically to include subtidal areas, which will protect the feeding areas of internationally important tern populations.
The beautiful Poole Harbour is a magnet for both people and wildlife.
Environment Secretary, Michael Gove said:
Part of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex landscape, this protection of a large part of Poole Harbour will continue to ensure that generations to come can enjoy the Dorset coast. Through this action, Natural England is making a vital contribution to our nation’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Our 25 Year Environment Plan includes a commitment to develop a Nature Recovery Network to protect and restore wildlife. Improving our protected areas will play an important role as we develop this network and work to realise our ambition to become the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
This SSSI extension connects to a wide network of important habitats. The Dorset Heaths are one of the best examples of lowland heath in the world and Poole Harbour opens out onto outstanding marine habitat protected under the Bluebelt programme, including Poole Rocks Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), and Studland Bay proposed MCZ.
Key to the success of such large scale environmental improvement has been Natural England working with local harbour users and partners such as the Southern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority, Poole Harbour Commissioners, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), National Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and local authorities .
Natural England’s Interim Chief Executive, Marian Spain, said:
Natural England is here to make sure that people and nature can thrive, through sustainable stewardship of the land and sea. I am delighted therefore that we have been able to extend the protection for this internationally important site. Poole Harbour is one of the very few SSSIs to include important subtidal habitat, home to an abundance of species including dense forests of Peacock Worms.
The support from our partners and stakeholders across the area has been vital to our work and we look forward to continuing to work with them so that Poole Harbour can continue be enjoyed and cared for by everyone long into the future.
Dr Jane Goodall DBE, Bournemouth resident and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace said:
I am delighted to learn that there has been a significant expansion of the wildlife protection designation which will help to safeguard the future health and resilience of Poole Harbour.
Protecting land and seas for future generations and for the welfare of all creatures depending on those areas is so important. I commend all involved for taking these steps to protect our precious environment for all.
Central to the area’s popularity is its unique natural environment, one which is loved locally and celebrated nationally and internationally. Fringing its shores are extensive saltmarshes and mudflats – these habitats provide vital feeding and breeding opportunities for the numerous rare and endangered bird species (eg, avocet, spoonbill & black-tailed godwit) for which the harbour is renowned.
These habitats also play an important role in providing tourism and recreational benefits, supporting a thriving commercial shellfish fishery and offering natural flood defence and cleaner water.
Below the waves, seagrass beds flourish in the shallows while the channels hide the spectacular peacock worm and a rich variety of other marine species including sponges, sea squirts and tube worms.
This designation will complement the existing management measures, including the newly extended Poole Harbour Special Protection Area that was announced last year, to deliver a management framework for all stakeholders.
Conservation organisations working in the harbour area are supportive of the move to expand the protections for this important habitat.
Paul Morton, co-founder of the charity ‘Birds of Poole Harbour said:
The SSSI extension follows the recent SPA review and is in recognition of the importance the whole harbour has to waders and wildfowl. Natural England deserve a huge well done for bringing this together, as do all the organisations that helped collate the relevant data.
Emma Rance, marine conservation officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust said:
The channels beneath the busy waterways of Poole Harbour are home to a myriad of species. Supporting habitats such as seagrass beds provide refuge for juvenile fish and shellfish which become a rich food source for overwintering and roosting seabirds. We very much welcome the SSSI extension to further enhance the conservation value of our highly prized harbour.
Andy Smith, Natural England’s Area Manager for Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight said:
Poole Harbour is a special place. This extension of the area’s protection is about supporting sustainable social and economic development in a way the benefits and enhances the natural environment. By identifying, designating and managing important species and habitats, we can ensure development compliments and supports these local features.
While Natural England has led on this new designation, this achievement is thanks to the hard work and support of many key Poole Harbour conservation organisations. This strong partnership has been developed and will continue in the coming months to ensure the opportunities associated with this new protection are fully realised.
The government has published the first cross-government suicide prevention plan. The plan has a focus on how social media and the latest technology – such as predictive analytics and artificial intelligence – can identify those at risk of suicide.
The plan will be led by the Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Jackie Doyle-Price. It sets out actions for local government, the NHS and the criminal justice system.
The plan commits the government to improving data held on causes of death among veterans to better understand the triggers that can lead someone to take their own life, such as debt and gambling addiction.
It also includes greater focus on addressing the increase in suicide and self-harm among young people, while social media companies will be asked to take more responsibility for online content that promotes methods of suicide and self-harm.
Other parts of the plan include:
There are 4,500 suicides each year in England, and around 13 people end their life every day. Men are 3 times more likely to die by suicide than women, and suicide is the leading cause of death in men under 50. Suicide is also a leading cause of death in young people.
The Prime Minister appointed Jackie Doyle-Price as the UK’s first Suicide Prevention Minister in October 2018. Part of her role is to work across local and national government to carry out the national suicide prevention strategy, published in 2012.
The cross-government suicide prevention plan published in January 2019 supports the national suicide prevention strategy, following recommendations from the Health Select Committee’s inquiry into suicide prevention in 2016.
Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Jackie Doyle-Price said:
As a society we need to do everything we can to support vulnerable and at-risk people, as well as those in crisis, and give them the help they desperately need.
I will be working with local councils, the NHS and the justice system to make sure suicide prevention plans are put in place across public services.
Together, we will do everything in our power to meet our ambition to reduce suicides by at least 10% by 2020 – and I look forward to working collaboratively with social media and tech companies to help achieve our ambitions.
Samaritans CEO Ruth Sutherland said:
We welcome the publication of the workplan and hope it will help save more lives.
Every 6 seconds someone contacts Samaritans volunteers for support, so we know that there is a huge amount to be done to help those struggling to cope.
When we can work in partnership, we can make a bigger impact in preventing suicide, particularly among the hardest to reach high-risk groups such as low-income and middle-aged men, and those whose occupation puts them at higher risk. Working to address inequalities in suicide is key.
We also need more research into the increases in self-harm and suicide among young people, and why gambling addiction and debt can drive suicides. Improving suicide data is essential to help us put more effective suicide prevention in place.
Today the UK Government has announced £2.5million in additional funding to the UN peace process in Yemen.
This uplift in spending, from the UK Government’s Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, will help establish the UN Civilian Coordinator’s Office, following the agreements made between parties at December’s UN peace talks in Stockholm. The UN Civilian Coordinator’s Office will play the leading role in coordinating support to the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Isa – Yemen’s lifeline. It will also focus on demining work and other civilian aspects of the Hodeidah Agreement. The Civilian Coordinator’s Office will be co-funded by Germany.
The announcement follows the UN Security Council’s unanimous adoption of UK-drafted resolution 2452 last week, which established a special political mission to support implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached in Stockholm.
The Stockholm Agreements, and the Hodeidah Agreement in particular, are integral steps in the road to long-term peace and stability in Yemen. They will also be pivotal in addressing the acute humanitarian crisis in the country. The funding announced by the UK today will help to the UN to ensure the survival of the ceasefire in its crucial first months.
Announcing the increase in spending today, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said:
Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Up to 20 million Yemenis lack reliable access to food and over 400,000 children under the age of 5 suffer severe acute malnutrition. This is a man-made humanitarian catastrophe and it will have man-made solutions. The Stockholm Agreements are our best chance of securing long term peace in Yemen. The UK is therefore determined to support the implementation of these agreements. Last week’s Security Council vote and today’s announcement of an additional £2.5 million UK funding are an instrumental part of that process, and we will continue to bolster the UN Special Envoy’s work where possible over the coming months.
The strides made over recent weeks would not have been thought possible just a short time ago. But there is still a long way to go. I urge the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to work closely with the UN and in good faith to expedite implementation of these agreements. It is imperative that they show restraint and act in the interests of all Yemenis to being an end to this heart-breaking crisis.