Annual Report

2015

Flamborough Head European Marine Site

Management Scheme

Compiled by Heather Davison

Flamborough Head European Marine Site Project Officer

Presented to the Relevant Authorities’ Group on 8th March 2016

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Introduction

A new 2016-2021 Management Plan for the European Marine Site is currently being developed. Once

the new Plan has been approved for use by the Relevant Authorities of the Management Scheme, the

annual reporting system will ensure that the Management Plan remains up to date. This information

will be collated into annual reports, which will also include summaries of actions progressed by the

Project Officer. In the meantime, the Project Officer has prepared this standalone update for January-

December 2015 (that is, the calendar year around which the Management Scheme is structured). This

report contains details on the work of the Management Scheme over the year, including updates on

actions undertaken by Relevant Authorities and Key Partners.

Development of the 2016-2021 Management Plan

The development of the 2016-2021 Management Plan is in progress and has reached the second draft

stage. The document has now been distributed to all Authorities and Key Partners for a four-week

consultation and it is hoped that a working final will be available in summer 2016.

As part of the Management Plan development, the Project Officer, in conjunction with Natural

England as the Statutory Nature Conservation Body, has established and distributed Relevant

Authority Information Packs. Each document is tailored to a specific Authority and identifies their

responsibilities towards the EMS along with full details of the conservation features and the role of the

Management Scheme.

In developing these Information Packs, Relevant Authorities have been encouraged to discuss and

understand their legal obligations towards the site. Similarly, although the Management Plan is not a

statutory document, it is a mechanism for Relevant Authorities to meet their statutory requirements by

demonstrating that the site is well-managed. Therefore, the development of this new Plan, along with

the day-to-day advice and guidance offered by the Project Officer, will further ensure that

Authorities’ obligations towards the site are being met.

This work supports Aim 2 of the Management Scheme

Designation Extensions and Condition Assessments

This work supports Aims 1 and 2 of the Management Scheme

Following the conclusion of the Flamborough and Filey Coast

potential Special Protection Area (pSPA) consultation in April

2014, a final decision regarding the new designation is expected

imminently. Despite this delay, the pSPA is a material

consideration and must still be taken into account in any

assessment of impact, along with the original Flamborough Head

and Bempton Cliffs SPA. This is particularly relevant to any

planning applications or proposals within the pSPA/SPA

boundaries.

Additionally, two new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) have

been designated along the Yorkshire Coast; Runswick Bay MCZ

and Holderness Inshore MCZ. These designations are also

material considerations and Natural England will be working to

produce conservation advice for these sites. The North Cliffs of Filey Brigg

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Over the summer months, Natural England carried out condition assessment surveys, via third party

contractors, for the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) features. The results of these assessments are

expected in 2016.

Heather Davison

In March, the supralittoral rock features of the Flamborough Head Site of Special Scientific Interest

(SSSI), which underpins the SPA, were re-assessed as being in an ‘unfavourable declining’ state. This

was a direct response to the national decline in the breeding black-legged kittiwake population, which,

in this area, is dependent on the supralittoral rock feature of the SSSI. The kittiwake population is

currently declining nationally, although it remains above the minimum SPA population size within the

EMS. The reasons behind this decline are not known, however it is thought that rises in surface sea

temperature as a result of climate change are having a negative indirect effect on the availability of food

for kittiwakes and other seabirds. Therefore, whilst the supralittoral rock itself has not changed, the

‘unfavourable declining’ status acknowledges the issues faced by the kittiwake population.

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Recreational Disturbance – Significant Incidents

In response to the significant incidents of seabird disturbance caused by a small number of personal

watercraft (PWC) users during 2014, Natural England utilised their ability to impose civil sanctions in

order to prevent further disturbance. This case is believed to be the first time civil sanctions have been

used to prevent disturbance in the marine environment anywhere in the UK.

The legal aspect of these incidents has meant significant delays to the development of a voluntary code

of conduct. However, work is now underway to develop a new code of conduct with representatives of

the PWC community and managers of the site. The Management Scheme is hopeful that this voluntary

agreement will reduce incidents of recreational disturbance in the future. The Project Officer is also

working with Natural England, the RSPB and a local paragliding club to develop a similar voluntary

agreement.

This work supports Aims 2 and 3 of the Management Scheme

This work supports Aims 1, 2 and 5 of the Management Scheme

Seabird Monitoring Programme

The 2015 seabird monitoring report, produced by the RSPB on behalf of Natural England, covers the

entire pSPA and has also included tagging kittiwakes and gannets to further understand their foraging

behaviours. Full survey results will be published in the report, however the provisional results are as

follows:

The gannet colony count identified 12,500 pairs, along with a further 2,000 non-breeding

juveniles. This population has increased by 30% since 2011. Whilst there was evidence of

gannets having displaced auks from their usual nesting sites, the auks were thought to have

found alternative sites with ease.

Auk productivity has remained at the national average for the last five years. A full colony

count of razorbills and guillemots will be undertaken in 2016.

Kittiwakes are still struggling and there was a high chick mortality rate mid-season.

Herring gulls also continued to decline, although there is no current data on the strength of the

urban gull population.

Kittiwake tagging continued during the 2015 season.

Results of this study, which has collected data over six

years, indicate that the foraging ranges of kittiwakes

significantly overlap with the proposed development areas

for both Hornsea and Dogger Bank offshore wind arrays.

This information may be used by Relevant Authorities to

ensure that any developments do not have a significant

impact on the features of the SPA. Juvenile Kittiwakes at Briel Newk

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Throughout the year, the Management Scheme has recorded a number of smaller incidents, including a

group of people taking quantities of shellfish from the intertidal zone beneath Filey Brigg. During

investigations of this report, it was determined that the best course of action in future is to inform the

local authority’s environmental health team. As commercial collection of shellfish for human

consumption is limited to approved sites, the environmental health team has powers to confiscate any

equipment used to gather shellfish elsewhere.

Additionally, there were two reports of individuals removing large quantities of stone from beaches

around Flamborough Head this year. Despite these verbal reports, Natural England was unable to act

due to a lack of picture/video evidence.

Recreational Disturbance – Monitoring Project

Since the recreational activity reporting forms were established in 2013, over 200 records of potential

disturbance events have been logged. The majority of the 74 incidents recorded in 2015 were said to

have involved PWC, as shown in Table 1.

This work supports Aims 2 and 3 of the Management Scheme

Table 1: Recreational Activity Reports

Activity No. Of Reports High-Moderate Disturbance

Slight-No Disturbance

No Level Recorded

Personal Watercraft 30 57% 13% 30%

Motorised Boats 22 73% 23% 4%

Canoes & Kayaks 8 63% 12% 25%

Low-Flying Aircraft 8 88% 0 12%

Angling (Cliff or Shore) 6 17% 17% 66%

Although this table suggests that the majority of activities witnessed around the EMS cause a

reasonably high level of disturbance, observers are arguably more likely to report activities which

prompt significant visual responses from the birds. Additionally, this is a very small sample of just a

few locations (primarily Bempton Cliffs). Therefore, in isolation, the information in Table 1 cannot be

generalised and should not be used to indicate levels of disturbance across the whole site.

Due to a lack of volunteers recruited to conduct the intensive seasonal monitoring this summer, only

93 instances of activities were observed over five monitoring days. Some 16 of these activities were

seen to be disturbing the breeding seabirds. This is in contrast to 2014 when three volunteers

conducted monitoring over 16 days and recorded nearly 500 separate instances of activities (45 of

which were deemed to have caused disturbance). Nevertheless, the data collected this season will add

to the information already gathered and help to build a more complete picture of disturbance around

the EMS in the long-term. The results of the 2015 survey season can be seen in Table 2.

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Table 2: Summer Survey Disturbance Reports

Activity No. Of Reports

High-Moderate Disturbance

Slight-No Disturbance

Personal Watercraft 0 0 0

Motorised Boats 6 67% 33%

Canoes & Kayaks 1 100% 0

Low-Flying Aircraft 1 0 100%

Angling (Cliff or Shore) 1 0 100%

Dog Walking 4 75% 25%

*Three additional reports categorised as ‘other’ included children climbing cliffs and grass-cutting activities.

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The low number of monitoring days has adversely affected the reliability of the summer survey results

this year. This lack of data reinforces the need to attract a number of volunteers to conduct seasonal

monitoring and reiterates the importance of maintaining a good relationship between the Management

Scheme and partner organisations, such as local universities and NGOs.

In February, a work placement student conducted a full analysis of all recreational disturbance data

collected around the EMS since 2013. This report identified that, although motorised boats, PWCs

and canoes/kayaks were seen to be the activities which caused the most disturbance, more information

is needed in order to draw an accurate conclusion. As a ‘citizen science’ project, involving information

collection by volunteers and members of the public, the data is susceptible to bias, and the relatively

small sample size prevents generalisations from being applied across the entire site. Consequently, the

report recommended that the Management Scheme continued to monitor recreational activities and

conduct further analysis in 2016/2017. The full report is available on request from the Project Officer.

Shellfish Stock Assessments

This work supports Aim 4 of the Management Scheme

Due to a reduction in the availability of necessary

financial resources, the start of the SAC and No Take

Zone (NTZ) shellfish stock assessments was delayed

until July. In conjunction with some adverse weather

conditions and reduced capacity of the Project Officer

during August, this resulted in the completion of only

two NTZ surveys and one survey in the SAC.

There may be scope in the future to undertake lobster tagging

within the NTZ, which could give a more accurate indication of

whether the closed area is having a positive effect on the shellfish

population. Additionally, it should be recognised that Mike

Emmerson of the Flamborough North Landing Harbour

Commissioners allowed the Project Officer to conduct surveys

from his vessel free of charge, for which the Management Scheme

is very grateful.

Sea Urchin Caught During SAC Surveys

Lobster Caught in the No Take Zone

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This work supports Aim 3 of the Management Scheme

Awareness-Raising/Public Engagement

Throughout the year, the Project Officer attended public engagement events including Driffield Show,

Bridlington Seafood Festival and the Hornsea School and Language College careers evening.

Additionally, prior to the opening of the new RSPB Seabird Centre at Bempton Cliffs, the Project

Officer briefed staff and volunteers on the EMS and the internationally-important conservation

features. A similar presentation was also delivered to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s

Foreshores team. Furthermore, to celebrate Natura 2000 day, the Project Officer conducted a guided

walk around the Bempton Cliffs reserve, which was well received by the attendees. A secondary

school from Nottingham also received a talk about the management of the EMS at the start of the

year, whilst they were visiting the headland as part of a geography field trip.

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Minke Whale seen from Bempton Cliffs Basking Shark seen from North Landing

Steve Race

Richard Emmerson

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As of mid-December, the Project Officer has been seconded to Natural England in order to assist with

the progression of the Regulation 35 Conservation Advice for the EMS. The secondment will enable

the Project Officer to be involved in the development of this important document at the earliest

opportunity, whilst also continuing to work on Management Scheme projects and maintaining

communications with Relevant Authorities and partners through the usual channels. During this time,

the Conservation Advice project and the development of the 2016-2021 Management Plan will be

prioritised.

Priorities for 2016

Other priorities for the first quarter of 2016 include the progression of the PWC voluntary code of

conduct. Following the workshop on 6 February, a draft agreement will be written and finalised prior

to the start of the seabird breeding season in March. Similarly, the Management Scheme’s involvement

in the development of a voluntary code of conduct with the local paragliding club will be maintained,

along with a presence during the Bempton Cliffs angling code of conduct review meetings.

Additionally, the Project Officer will continue to liaise with British Canoeing to investigate the

possibility of partnership working.

In order to ensure that monitoring of recreational disturbance around the EMS continues during 2016,

the Project Officer will liaise with RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the local bird observatories to

emphasise the continuous nature of this project. Furthermore, contact will be made with local

universities and volunteering groups in the spring to recruit monitoring volunteers for the summer

months.

The NTZ information board at Danes Dyke was removed by a member of the public in August,

resulting in the need to install a replacement in early November. Unfortunately this vandalism has cost

the Management Scheme approximately £800, which the NEIFCA has kindly offered to reimburse in

its role as byelaw enforcement body.

Along with the usual swathes of wildlife which inhabit and visit the EMS each year, the 2015 season

also saw regular minke whale and dolphin passages, frequent reports of sunfish and even a sighting of

a basking shark off North Landing.

Throughout the year, there will be ongoing efforts to obtain

funding via a number of sources in order to improve the

long-term sustainability of the overall Management Scheme.

Once again, attempts will be made to conduct a full season of

shellfish stock assessments in both the SAC and the NTZ.

However, this project is dependent on the availability of

finances and, as ever, may be delayed due to adverse weather

conditions. Similarly, where opportunities arise and the Project

Officer has sufficient capacity, the Management Scheme will be

represented at public events and will engage with stakeholders as

appropriate.

Fulmer and Chick at Briel Newk

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Steve Race

Richard Emmerson

Aim 1: Ensure no proposed projects or activities negatively impact the conservation features, through regular condition assessments and implementation of Habitats Directive procedures. Aim 2: Work to maintain and improve protection of the conservation features through the sharing of appropriate scientific research, implementing voluntary measures, the creation of new byelaws and designations and the collation of appropriate activity information. Aim 3: In order to support the work of the Management Scheme, raise public awareness about the site’s importance and support sustainable recreation and tourism practices. Aim 4: Monitor both recreational and commercial fishing activities, ensure all relevant permits are observed and support sustainable practices, whilst engaging with the local fishing com-munity to increase environmental awareness. Aim 5: Ensure that any non-fishing commercial activity within or adjacent to the EMS does not negatively affect the conservation features and work to reduce the risk of marine pollution to the site. Aim 6: Appropriately manage the marine environment through the monitoring of consented discharges, achieving water quality standards and ensuring all coastal environmental incidents are dealt with effectively, whilst creating a safe environment for recreational and commercial users. Aim 7: Through the retention/enhancement of historic structures, landscape and seascape, promote sustainable development and safe maritime practices.

Aims of the Management Scheme

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Arches and Caves at North Landing Heather Davison

Heather Davison Heather Davison

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Heather Davison

For further information please contact the Flamborough Project Officer at:

sacofficer@flamboroughheadsac.org.uk

www.flamboroughheadsac.org.uk