Coastal visitors urged to protect marine wildlife as police reports of disturbance increase

Operation Seabird takes place today where the Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership (YMNP) supports a day of action as people head to coastal areas and beaches for an Easter break. It will include visible police patrols to look out for disturbance and anti-social behaviour, and offer advice to visitors about how they can minimise their impact on marine wildlife.

Up and down the coast there are thousands of breeding seabirds, resident porpoises and seals, and visiting pods of whales and dolphins, which while spectacular to watch, can be subject to panic and stress.

PC Rich Fussey, wildlife and heritage crime officer with Humberside Police, added: “The Yorkshire coastline is a fantastic landscape and important feeding and breeding ground for a variety of seabirds and marine mammals.

As part of the national day of action, the Humber Nature Partnership will launch Operation Seabird on the Humber Estuary – regarded as one of the most important estuaries in Europe for wildlife.

Jackson Sage, project manager, added: “The Humber Estuary is home to up to 140,000 breeding and migratory birds, marine mammals such as seals and harbour porpoise, all supported by tens of thousands of hectares of delicate habitats protected under UK law.

“We want people to enjoy the beautiful landscapes we have on our doorstep, but do so in a way that does not come at the expense to the important species that we are so lucky to have.”