What is the Pembrokeshire Marine Code?

The Pembrokeshire Marine Code was developed in 2002 to promote sustainable use of Pembrokeshire’s marine environment for outdoor activities.

The Code aims to:

• Limit disturbance and protect marine wildlife from increasing recreation and coastal leisure pressures

Its core focus is:

• fostering responsible marine recreational activities and education while safeguarding the environment.

The project promotes voluntary codes of conduct to ensure respect for the ecosystem, wildlife and fellow users.

Who is behind the Pembrokeshire Marine Code?

The Pembrokeshire Marine Code initiative is a collaborative effort, involving local operators, conservation organisations and land managers.

These organisations are all concerned about the long-term management of the area and the development of high standards of practice. They recognise that sustainable use must be a key theme in marine recreational activities and education.

Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum (PCF) were chosen to assist with the development of the project. As a coastal partnership, able to provide independent and neutral facilitation; reconciling the differences between stakeholders with contrasting opinions and statutory obligations.

Most of the Pembrokeshire Coastline is privately owned and designated for its landscape and wildlife importance. The Pembrokeshire Marine Code encourages users to show respect and consideration for the marine environment, landowners, wildlife and other users when out exploring the coast and offshore areas of Pembrokeshire. This is achieved through voluntary codes of conduct, agreed access restrictions, education, and the creation and promotion of best practice.

The importance of a voluntary approach to wildlife conservation

Our reasons for enjoying the coast are linked and driven by the quality of the environment and the wildlife it supports. Unless this is protected then we risk losing the very ecosystems that provide our livelihoods and enjoyment.

Even with a network of statutory designations in place, a voluntary approach to marine conservation can have lasting and positive effect on an area, helping to protect wildlife for future generations.

Managing large marine areas with multiple access points and uses is challenging and requires significant resources. The Pembrokeshire Marine Code takes a voluntary approach and has involved collaboration between diverse stakeholders with the support of PCF, acting as a neutral, unbiased coastal partnership. PCF are well placed to develop a voluntary approach, as all PCF projects are based on collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

Differences between Marine Codes

If you have visited another coastal region in Wales, you may have noticed that there are some regional variations between codes of conduct. The set up and development of Marine Codes has followed different routes in the different regions around the Wales coast. Each region having a separate framework of supporting organisations, and potentially different marine species or groups to focus on; leading to different codes for different regions.

Even where the same marine species are involved, variations can occur.

Regarding the Pembrokeshire Marine Code, PCF felt from the outset that for this voluntary code to be successful, it was necessary to involve all key stakeholders, including wildlife tour boat operators, commercial adventure providers, as well as conservationists, to ensure that the code is accurate and appropriate.

The Pembrokeshire Marine Code (PMC) is a voluntary approach and therefore needs to be practical to follow. 

With the range of stakeholders consulted, a code has been developed that is achievable and has buy in from the various stakeholders it affects. As a voluntary approach, it relies on stakeholder engagement, self-policing and ownership.

Marine code information for across Wales can be found at Wild Seas Wales.

What is a designation?

Many of Wales’ iconic species and landscapes are protected under UK, European and International law using a variety of designations, which include:

Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest

They are protected to safeguard the range, quality and variety of habitats, species and geological features in all parts of Wales.

Special Area of Conservation (SAC): protects one or more special habitats and/or species. The purpose of a SAC is to maintain or restore the natural habitats and populations of the species for which the site is designated. 

Special Protection Area (SPA): protected areas for birds in the UK

SACs and SPAs are both protected areas that are part of Europe’s Emerald Network Areas of Special Conservation Interest..

In the UK, both are designated under the following regulations:

• Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017: For England and Wales, including the adjacent territorial sea
• Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017: For the UK offshore area

Competent authorities must take action to help protect, conserve and restore the protected habitats and species of these sites.

Competent authority definition and further information can be found at Government website.

Ramsar: wetlands of international importance that have been designated under the criteria of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for containing representative, rare or unique wetland types or for their importance in conserving biological diversity.

For further details please visit Ramsar Sites Information Service.

Site of special scientific interest (SSSI): an area that’s of particular interest to science due to the rare species of fauna or flora it contains – or even important geological or physiological features that may lie in its boundaries.

In Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are responsible for managing SSSIs. Further information can be found at NRW website

Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ): are a way of conserving marine habitats and wildlife and other features of special importance, along the shore or on the seabed. Skomer, the first MCZ in Wales, was established in 2014 and is situated around the island of Skomer and the Marloes Peninsula in Pembrokeshire. Before 2014 the area had been Wales’ only Marine Nature Reserve for 24 years. The purpose of the Marine Conservation Zone is, as part of a network of various types of Marine Protected Areas, to safeguard the full range of marine wildlife diversity. The MCZ is managed by NRW, further details can be seen at Marine Conservation Zone.

National Park: National Parks were established to protect beautiful and relatively wild countryside by:
– Preserving the characteristic beauty of the landscape;
– Providing access and facilities for public open-air enjoyment;
– Protecting wildlife, buildings and places of architectural and historic interest; whilst allowing sustainable farming use to continue as before.

National Parks UK website provides further details.

National Nature Reserves (NNRs): represent the very best examples of our wildlife habitats and geological features and can range in size between five hectares to well over 2,000. NNR are declared by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, or under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. They are owned or leased by NRW, or the land is held by an approved body, such as a County Wildlife Trust. Each reserve has a programme of work to manage the site’s special features. All of them are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and may provide places for educational projects, research and management trials. 

Find out more at NRW’s website

Heritage Coasts occupy about a third of the Welsh coastline, that is 500 km (300 miles). These sites were set up to protect our coastlines from insensitive developments.Their status carries no legal protection, but planning authorities must take the designation into account when making decisions on development. Management of Heritage Coasts is the remit of the local authority and is generally carried out by Heritage Coast Officers with some practical tasks done by volunteers.

Link to Heritage Coast information on NRW’s website.

Marine Protected Area network

The Marine Protected Area (MPA) network is a subset of existing protected sites that have marine features. Sites include:

Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Ramsar sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Marine Conservation Zones.

Over 35% of Welsh seas are covered by some form of designation. The waters and coastline of Pembrokeshire have multiple conservation designations that aim to protect a range of species and habitats.

Many of these sites will have management schemes, plans or statements which describe the features of interest and in some cases threats to designated features.

Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation

The Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is managed collectively by the Relevant Authorities Group (RAG) for the site. The SAC Officer coordinates work to improve the site’s wildlife features. See www.PembrokshireMarineSAC.org.uk for more detail.

Recreation disturbance

In Pembrokeshire, recreational disturbance is stated as a threat to the conservation objectives across many of the designated sites. The Marine Code assists with minimising disturbance to sites and species and is thus supported by relevant organisations responsible for their management e.g. NRW, RSPB, Wildlife Trust, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, National Trust.

What is disturbance?

Wildlife disturbance is the term given to things we do that change wildlife behaviour or habitats. When our actions cause an animal to feel threatened, and it actively tries to escape from us or change its behaviour, this is known as wildlife disturbance. Regular and or serious actions causing disturbance are detrimental to the health of wildlife.

Examples include flocks of birds flying away and hauled-out seals stampeding into the water.

Disturbance can be as simple as an animal looking directly at us because it has become watchful in our presence.

Wildlife disturbance can also happen without an animal being there – for example, if we accidentally trample on a nest.

Why is disturbance an issue?

One in six species are at risk of being lost from Wales so we all must do our best to help our animals survive and thrive, which includes minimising disturbance.

For example, causing a bird to fly away may not seem like anything to worry about but, in trying to escape from you, the bird is using valuable energy and could get injured. It may also abandon a nest or young. Although you may feel that your actions have little impact, others may have been in the same area before you. The repeated disturbance causes unnecessary stress, particularly during the breeding season for that species or during cold weather.

It is also important to remember that some irresponsible behaviours towards wildlife may be a criminal offence.

What is a wildlife crime?

Wildlife crimes include intentional or reckless harassment, injuring, disturbance, or taking or killing protected species or damaging their habitat.

Cetaceans: under UK law, it is a criminal offence to intentionally kill, injure or deliberately disturb dolphins, porpoise, whales and basking sharks.

Birds: in the UK all wild birds, their nests, and their eggs are protected by law. It is against the law to intentionally kill, injure, or take wild birds, unless carried out under a licence.

Seals: It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take a seal.

Find out about the different marine species and how they are protected through UK wildlife legislation here: Marine species and Wildlife protection on Gov.UK.

Reporting a wildlife crime

You can report disturbance to the Police: by ringing 101 or clicking ‘Report it’ on their website: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/ Please specify that you are reporting a ‘wildlife crime.’