|
||||
Destination Cornwall - Uniquely Daily |
||||
Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area.
Looe is situated on the South Coast of Cornwall amid stunning coastal scenery near a designated Heritage Coast and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. it is built on the sides on the sides of a drowned river valley or ria, with the town separated into halves by a tidal harbour at the estuary mouth. A little way upstream, the estuary divides into East and West Looe Rivers.
Following a period of consultation, the Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation
Area was launched in April 1995 by Caradon District Council's Countryside Service, with financial support from
English Nature.
Facing the sea there are extensive rocky reefs at Hannafore and Portnadler
to the West. Just offshore is Looe Island, with further rocky reefs on its seaward side and a shingle beach on
its northern side. East Looe has a sandy beach which stretches between Banjo Pier and the rocky outcrop of the
Limmicks. The Coastline is a mixture of natural low cliffs to the west, with concrete sea defences and a built-up
quay around the town and harbour.
The town itself has a thriving local community. it has the second biggest
fish market in Cornwall and is a bustling centre for tourism throughout much of the spring and summer. The VMCA
embraces nearly five kilometres of coastline from the Hore Stone in the west of Portnadler Bay to the Limmicks
in Looe Bay, and it includes the East and West Looe Rivers to their tidal limits. The seaward limit is approximately
to the 10 metre depth contour which encompasses Looe Island and the Ranneys.
Looe is ideally placed to host the VMCA. the area contains a surprising
variety of habitats along the coast and in the river valley, and there are many sheltered and exposed rocky reefs.
The reef off Hannafore Point, sheltered from the prevailing weather by Looe Island, is particularly rich in intertidal
species. The rocks are covered in seaweeds with many crevices and rockpools providing shelter for an abundance
of crabs, anemones, sponges, sea squirts and molluscs of all kinds. Where the reefs extends into deeper water,
they support dense kelp forests.
As well as hard substrate communities, there are also extensive areas
of intertidal and subtidal sand in the bay, which is home to burrowing bivalves, flounder and mullet. In sheltered
sandy areas behind Looe Island, small beds of eel grass flourish with their own particular association of plants
and animals.
The estuary is a robust well flushed system which empties at low tide
separately from the freshwater flow which comes from the rivers. The mouth of the estuary is made up of coarse
gravel and sand. Swift tidal currents moving in and out of the harbour make settlement on this dynamic surface
impossible. However, the harbour walls and moorings provide sites for barnacles, limpets and seaweed - and at the
estuary's mouth, clusters of mussels filter the fast-moving water for food. At high tide there is also the chance
to see the busy fishing port in action when the locals boats unload their catch.
Moving further upstream, both East and West Looe rivers have areas of
muddy seabed and gravel which become progressively more silty until finally salt marsh develops. Along the river
banks, western oak woodland overhangs theses sedimentary shores. There is ample opportunity to see different wading
birds here, as well as a breeding ground of herons, visiting little egrets and resident kingfishers.
This variety of habitats with their associated flora and fauna in such
a compact area provide an endless source of fascinating subjects for investigation and interpretation.
The aims of the VMCA in Looe:
are primarily to raise awareness about the marine environment and encourage sensible use of marine resources.
As a centre of tourism with a local community with close historical links
to the sea - including the fishing industry, angling, bait digging and sailing - there is a perfect platform for
education and interpretation of life within the VMCA. Despite expected pressures from the working fishing harbour
and a busy tourist industry, the ecology of the area can be perceived to be in balance with people's activities.
The VMCA will not only enhance a visit to Looe but will also raise awareness
of wider issues of marine conservation and use of the sea's resources. The generation of visitors' interest and
local support for the VMCA will encourage local people to preserve the balance between the environment and the
pressures put upon it. Maintaining this will keep the area's attractiveness to visitors and its health for the
local community. The aim is for sensible and sustainable use of resources to be achieved through voluntary agreement
and co-operation. The Looe VMCA has the added advantage of being part of the Countryside Service's general programme
of environmental management and green h planned to educate and inform about the life in the VMCA. The Countryside
Service has also forged links along the coastline with other with other marine conservation initiatives in Cornwall.
This has culminated in the launch of Cornwall Coastlink to formalise these links and to help establish free exchange
of information and ideas to strengthen marine conservation in Cornwall.
Top