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A series of Questions have been asked to Cornwall County Council
officers and representatives. Quotes from the responses received are
shown below and serve to highlight the irony and history of this
proposal.
How did
this come about ... ?
P Hoskin CCC -
Following all of these workshops [held
primarily in Looe] a small working group was set
up bringing together the following organisations: Councillor Sheryl
Murray (Chair), Cornwall County Council, Caradon District Council
tourism and countryside services, National Marine Aquarium, Cornwall
Sea Fisheries Committee, British Spear fishing Association, Looe
Harbour Commissioners, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Defence Estates,
English Nature and Environment Agency. This group came up with the
areas included in the consultation as the most practical to
establish, enforce and interpret from the sea and land. The group
asked the County Council to lead the consultation on their behalf.
This is also the embryonic group referred to, although informal
membership would most likely change to include more local
representation if it continues in any form following the
consultation. Cornwall County Council has already agreed with
Caradon District Council that the District would take over the lead
once this consultation is complete. We have been in constant
communication with the District Council and Officers and members
have attended each of the workshops.
P Hoskin CCC -
The areas proposed are the easiest to establish using existing
landmarks. However, a buoyed area around the 2 wrecks is possible.
This smaller area was endorsed by many who attended the Looe School
workshop. The questionnaire has a facility for people to reject the
concept of the Marine Sanctuary Zone altogether or to propose a
different area to the two shown. I would also like to reiterate that
there is an option in the questionnaires which allows for voluntary
catch and release by shore anglers.
P Hoskin CCC - I
would consider Whitsand Bay to be the area between Rame Head and
Hannafore Reef/Looe Island.
P Hoskin CCC -
All of the workshops were widely advertised in the local and
national specialist press (Sea Angler, Cornish Times, Evening Herald
etc) covered on local radio and through posters. Local tackle shops,
angling clubs, Fishermen's Associations and the local press were
either sent invitations to workshops or received press releases.
Both of the workshops were free and open to all. The press attended
both of the workshops in Looe.
P Hoskin CCC -
I accept that too much of the consultation took place in Looe
which we felt acted as a convenient location, but maybe we misjudged
the fact that this was too far for people from Rame to travel.
P Hoskin CCC -
We are trying to access everyone we can through the local media, by
sending out the consultation to tackle shops and any fishing/diving
related businesses and by putting the consultation on the County
Council website. A press release will shortly be sent to all the
local free press delivered to every household in the area. The
consultation deadline has been extended to 30th November to ensure
that everyone with an interest has time to find out about, and
respond to, the consultation.
Have the NFSA been consulted
... ?
P Hoskin CCC -
The National Federation of Sea Anglers have not been excluded from
any of the discussions or workshops. They have been aware of this
proposal for some time through Malcolm Gilbert's involvement on the
Cornwall Marine Protected Area Working Group, meetings of which have
regularly discussed these ideas and solicited opinions from
attendees. He was made aware of the dates of all workshops and was
invited to the Scylla Working Group to formulate ideas, as were all
members of the Cornwall Marine Protected Area Working Group.
Who are the Scylla working group...
?
P Hoskin CCC -
The Scylla Working Group was brought together to develop the
consultation document as requested at the Looe School workshop. It
was agreed that this document would then go out for wider public
consultation. The group has not made a decision and do not have the
powers to do so, they merely formulated some ideas for the public to
consider as requested by attendees of the Looe School workshop.
Is the consultation genuine
... ?
P Hoskin CCC -
The questionnaire is the method by which we are obtaining peoples
opinions about the proposals. The results of the consultation will
be posted on the Council website. I would like to reiterate that
this is a genuine public consultation. Absolutely nothing is set in
stone.
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