Sea Trust: Chairman’s Report Winter 2004/5.(Draft)

Sea Trust has been busy.

Since April 2004 sixty nine fabulous Sea Trust volunteers have spent 64 days at sea engaged in survey work. To date, (2^nd March 2005) this in total equates to 174 sea days of volunteer effort, nearly 35 working weeks. This does not include travelling time or administration which would easily add another 15 weeks, in effect a working year of volunteer time.

This CCW Species Challenge Funded three year project, primarily on  common dolphins Delphinus delphis  is  on schedule as we prepare for our second year. In actual fact because of Stena Lines generosity (Thanks Carl and all the crew and staff) we have managed to more than double our projected target of 12 return (24) crossings per year and will hopefully achieve 27  (54) by the end of March

This is (in conjunction with our colleagues in Ireland, the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group) the first and only year round truly seasonal transect survey conducted in every month of the year by a  cetacean group in Welsh /Irish waters. It is beginning to look promising with a view to understanding the seasonal distribution of several species

Also that we managed to get out in April to November inclusive, to do our small boat surveys shows the value of being locally based. 

Our second report should be completed by late Spring, building on our first “The short beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis  and other cetaceans in Pembrokeshire waters and the southern Irish Sea.”  (Earl, Sheen, and Benson for CCW 2004.) It is the basis for Pembrokeshire’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Cetaceans and fulfils Pembrokeshire County Council’s responsibility for these species to the Welsh Assembly Government and UK government.

Sea Trust’s work is obviously being taken seriously further afield as we have been approached by the Atlantic Research Coalition to join them and hopefully we will be contributing to their work in the near future. These include other leading cetacean groups from Spain, France, Holland, Ireland, and the rest of the UK. We will be the first member to represent Wales.

Ashore Graham Rees and the Strumble Stalwarts  have been continuing our daily watch at Strumble Head from August through October, Graham alone contributing a whacking 500+ hours. With this and other shore based work, administration, analysis, report writing, accounts, meetings, lectures etc our volunteer effort (we have no paid staff)   we have clocked up well over a years worth of volunteer effort in equivalent 40 hour working weeks

My own weekly effort regularly comes to in excess of 40 hours in fact 50+ is more usual, including part of most evenings and weekends.

With over thirty regular “Strumblers” visiting and contributing to the records year round, it must qualify as the best watched headland in Wales, perhaps the UK. To date we have recorded eight species of cetacean from Strumble including Orca and Striped Dolphin, both rarely recorded in Welsh waters. Lyndon Lomax Steve Barry, Sarah Earl and myself are going to be looking at all the data we have collected, and trying to put it into context with other data collected earlier. 

We are hoping to put an exhibition of our work illustrated by Janet Baxter’s excellent photo’s on display at the Ocean Lab Goodwick this spring. The exhibition will be free of charge and will continue into 2006. Also an extended DVD/ Film show  showing our work and activities is planned to be shown at the exhibition. It should be a great interface with locals and visitors and a great way of attracting fresh volunteers. We also intend to put on a number of lectures slide shows in conjunction with our exhibition.

In partnership with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group we are also looking at a revolutionary Eco Tourism initiative. It is early days yet but is named the Dolphin Coast Concept/ Celtic Dolphin Ring. The hope/intention is to boost tourism in our areas to the benefit of local communities, conservation and animal welfare.

Sea Trust is also looking to support a Welsh Cetacean Database which would be open to all.

Another new initiative in conjunction with Dr Steve Morris and Powell Strong of Pembrokeshire College CZMES department is a proposed series of cetacean observer courses at level 3 OCN entitled “Wildlife Observer” designed to upgrade volunteer skills and also to be available to the general public and students.

Our opinions have been sought and activities reported in the media with reports interviews on national TV and radio and press BBC (TV, radio and website), HTV, Sunday Express, Western Mail, The Times, Daily Mirror, Natural World Wales an etc. Also local media, including  Radio Pembrokeshire The Western Telegraph., Coast to Coast and County Echo. There are probably lots more, as for example we did not know I had been quoted in the Times until a supporter rang to tell us!

Our website www.seatrust.org.uk sponsored and hosted by Mark Deane of Celtic Diving has been a great success and only the other day we were contacted by BBC Wildlife Magazine, who had found us on the net and wanted some photo’s.

We have posted fifteen reports on UK Cetnet this year (2004/5) and are also sending in reports of sightings for inclusion in British Wildlife Magazine and Whale and Dolphin Magazine.

It is the end of our working year and as I battle through the paperwork, records etc, I am beginning to realise just how many of our magnificent volunteers (and unpaid) officers and committee members have contributed their time and resources to our work.  If every small business or  government department were as hard working, productive and flexible as us, Wales would be leading the world  As chairman of Sea Trust I am hugely grateful and incredibly proud of you all.

My estimates of volunteer time donated are incomplete as yet and very conservative. Our volunteers are from all social denominations and income groups (though no one has admitted to being a multi millionaire yet!) Suffice to say that if everyone was paid the going rate, the wages bill would be getting on for £100,000, more than enough to match any funding  we may be seeking.

Just a final few words of thanks to our “professionals”  Janet Baxter, Mark Deane, Dee Doody and Dave Edwards. I put the word professional in quotes, because if they worked for anyone else for what little we pay them, they would all be going bust.

Invoices  sent to Sea Trust  that should have at least three 0’s only have two and most  simply have 0 inasmuch we often do not get a bill.

Dave, Janet, Mark and  Dee only manage to do so by cutting into what hours they have after finishing their main work. I know all of them have unstintingly burned the midnight out on our behalf. Quite simply our work has depended on their generosity.

Hopefully, Environment Wales will continue to support our efforts this coming season.  If not we will have to seriously think about our future .

Stop Press: March 2005 : Environment Wales has accepted our Funding bid and will be supporting Sea Trust’s work 2005/6!

We believe we give incredible value for money with massive outputs involving all parts of the local and wider community.

Thankfully we already have commitment from The Countryside Council For Wales and Stena Line

We intend to stay busy! allthingsgood,

                                                         Cliff Benson: Chair, Sea Trust S&W Wales