| Pink Sea Fan |
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1Action for biodiversity |
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The pink sea fan is a warm water species which has a limited western distribution in the British Isles running from the north of Ireland (Donegal Bay) around the South West of England and up the English Channel as far Portland Bill. In the Irish Sea the pink seafan only reaches as far north as Pembrokeshire. The stronghold of the pink sea fan in the UK is undoubtedly in the two South West counties of Devon and Cornwall. Particularly dense populations are known to occur in waters to the east of the Lizard, the east of Lundy Island, around Plymouth Sound and in Lyme Bay. Large mature colonies, though less dense than those further south, are known from around Skomer Island MNR. The pink sea fan has partial protection under section Five of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed as a species of conservation concern. Pembrokeshire is believed to be the only other are off the UK, outside the South West region where pink sea fan is found. Thus the action to be taken to conserve South West populations also apply to those populations off Pembrokeshire. Regional distribution in the South West1
Priority
Areas and natural areas in the South West1
Basic Management requirements1 no information currently availableCurrent Factors
affecting the species1 Mobile fishing gear such as scallop dredges, bar and rockhopper trawls
which sweep across or just under the sea bed modifying the substratum
and crushing or detaching elements of seabed fauna and flora. Areas
of bedrock adjacent to soft substrata have also been coming under increasing
pressure with increases in fishery competition.
South West biodiversity objectives and proposed targets 1 OBJECTIVE 1 Ensure the survival of pink sea fan population at current levels in identified priority areas and reduce loss through human influence at all known and new sites. TARGET: Ongoing OBJECTIVE 2 Increase our knowledge of the effects of reduced water quality and fisheries activity on pink sea fan populations TARGET: By 2002 OBJECTIVE 3 Increase our knowledge of the distribution, ecology and ecological
requirements of the species National: The pink sea fan is granted partial protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. MAFF and SOAFD are conducting research into the effects of mobile fishing gear on seabed communities There have been several projects studying pink sea fans at Skomer Marine
Nature Reserve (MNR). An annual monitoring programme, running since
1984, is looking at a variety if aspects of pink sea fan ecology, including
growth rate, population age structure, recruitment and epibionts. This
works is largely based on the use of stereo-photography techniques.
A project to analyse the full data will begin in 1997. A commissioned study into the effect of potting (crustacea and mollusc traps) on seabed habitats and fauna was recently completed. Project participants included CCW, EN,SNH, JNCC Sea Fisheries Joint Committee, MAFF and The Marine Institute, Dublin; aspects of this project carried out in the South West region. Regional: An ecologist studying the pink sea fan on the East Tennants reef in Lyme Bay has been running since 1993. This project is also studying recruitment, mortality, growth rate and reproduction. English Nature have produced a report including analysis of monitoring
data from populations off the east coast of Lundy MNR. Monitoring of populations on Lundy has been undertaken from 1984-1990
as part of the Lundy MNR monitoring programme. Recently, Marine Conservation
Society volunteer divers have mapped populations and assessed colony
condition along Lundy's East Coast. Investigative dives have also been
carried out along Lundy's west coast, confirming the presence of the
pink sea fan there too. Proposed Action 1 Policy and legislation
Management
Identify an initial series of priority pink sea fan areas in the South West (by 1998) LEAD: EN Promote the development of a series of protected or 'sanctuary' areas. These should cover priority pink sea fan sites with voluntary or statutory restrictions on identified damaging activities. LEAD: EN (CCW) PARTNERS: SFCs, WTs, WWF Research
and monitoring
Promote research into the distribution and ecological requirements
of the pink sea fan (ongoing) Promote research into the effects of reduced water quality and
fisheries activity on the pink sea fan populations; with an aim of identifying
the most important factors (ongoing) LEAD: EN (CCW) Education and awareness raising
Increase the awareness of priority pink sea fan areas amongst anglers through contact with local angling groups and boat hire operators (by 1999). LEAD: WTs PARTNERS: EN, WWF, (CCW)
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