Last  updated

9 March 2008

MCS Pembrokeshire group

developing awareness of the Pembrokeshire marine environment and marine conservation issues, including by running marine education activities

helping West Wales based MCS members work together on Pembrokeshire marine conservation issues

promoting local awareness of the Marine Conservation Society and its national campaigns and activities 

hosting local marine conservation campaigns

encouraging and supporting surveys to increase knowledge of Pembrokeshire’s marine environment

Pembrokeshire MCS Local Group

The MCS Pembrokeshire Local Group was formed in January 2007 with the aims of:

Membership

To join the MCS Pembrokeshire Local Group you simply need to be a member of MCS and e-mail us so that you can be added to the local group membership list – there are no additional joining costs.  If not already a member of MCS, you can join on-line by clicking here.

Chairman  Francis Bunker

Secretary  Jen Jones

Treasurer  Kate Lock

Membership secretary  Sue Burton

Funding

The group gratefully acknowledges a £1000 grant from the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS ) Sustainable Pembrokeshire Small Grant Scheme to support Seasearch diving surveys of Biodiversity Action Plan species and habitats in Milford Haven during 2007.  Two successful weekends of diving were completed by 26 volunteer divers.  A summary report is currently being prepared and will be available on the Seasearch website in early 2008.

Campaign T-shirts (£14) and ‘hoodie’ sweatshirts (£24) are available in a variety of colours.

To order, e-mail your requirements and we will advise how to make payment.  

Profits from all sales are are donated to the Marine Conservation Society.

Campaigns

The Group is leading the campaign for designation of Skomer MNR as a highly protected marine reserve.  Both paper and on-line petitions are collecting signatures to support the campaign.   

In addition to signing the petition yourself, you can help by circulating the link to the on-line petition to everyone that you believe will give their support, or downloading and printing a copy of the paper petition form here, collecting signatures and posting them back.

Getting active in Pembrokeshire marine conservation

There are many ways that you can make a real contribution to marine conservation in Pembrokeshire.  Active, hands-on and getting wet activities include:

• Seasearch training and surveys
• Neptunes Army of Rubbish Collectors - for more information click here
• MCS and Keep Wales Tidy Adopt a Beach - click here for MCS and here for KWT
• Skomer Marine Nature Reserve volunteer diving surveys - click here to e-mail the MNR team
• Sea Trust – cetacean surveys - - for more information click here

But there are many other important things to do that don’t need getting wet or cold:

• Learn more about your local marine environment.
• Keep your eyes and ears open for threats to Pembrokeshire’s marine environment and report them to the appropriate authority.
• Support local marine conservation campaigns, and encourage others to do so too.
• Pass on sightings of biological interest - for example, warm water species, cetaceans, turtles, fish .....  to the appropriate recorders listed on the links page.
• Use every opportunity to tell your local politicians, from Community and County Councillors to AMs, MPs and MEPs, about the importance of marine conservation and lobby them for their support.

Networking and social

A resoundingly successful joint MCS local group - S&W Wales Seasearch party was held in April 2007 in the Lobster Pot Inn, Marloes.  Video highlights of Seasearch 2006 were screened, a fiery and passionate speech was given by Gill Bell, MCS’s Wales officer (right) and the evening finished with music by local band 'You’re Not Percy', reputedly the only almost-all-marine biologist band in existence!  

We hope to make this informal get-together an annual event for everyone involved in marine conservation in Pembrokeshire.  If you would like to come to the 2008 party on 26 April, e-mail to let us know and we’ll send you an invitation.