Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area
The Marine Environment in Looe
Looe’s marine and coastal life is among the most diverse and best in Cornwall. The reefs at Hannafore Point, sheltered from the prevailing weather, are covered in many different types of seaweeds, which provide shelter for an abundance of crabs, anemones, urchins and other incredible invertebrates. In the deeper waters there are rich kelp beds and sand flats with burrowing bivalves, flounder and mullet. In the more sheltered areas, beds of seagrass flourish, providing an important sheltered, nutrient-rich habitat for a diverse flora and fauna. Along the river banks of the East and West Looe rivers you may catch a glimpse of the illusive otter or see a variety of wading birds, as well as a breeding group of herons, little egrets and the charismatic kingfishers.
St Georges Island, just off the coast of Looe, is a quiet haven for wildlife with a variety of habitats including woodland, maritime grassland, cliffs, sand and shingle and rocky reef. This unique island is home to an array of sea bird life, including the second largest nesting colony of the majestic Black-Backed Gulls in Cornwall. The waters surrounding are teeming with marine creatures, with basking sharks often seen feeding along the coast in the early summer months.
This incredible diversity of plants and animals was recognised in 1995 by the establishment of the Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (VMCA) to help protect this special area of coastal and marine wildlife. The Looe VMCA embraces nearly 5 kilometres of coastline from the Hore Stone in the West of Portnadler to the Limmicks in Looe Bay. It also includes the East and West Looe Rivers to their tidal limits. The seaward limit is approximately to the 10 metre depth contour which encompasses Looe Island and the Ranneys.
The Project
The VMCA is an area where there is opportunity to enhance marine conservation, community pride of place, perception of the environment and to promote sustainable use of the resource. The recently received Heritage Lottery Funding has enabled the Cornwall Wildlife Trust to set up the ‘Discovering the Wonders of Looe’s Marine Heritage’ project focusing on and utilizing the VMCA. The project will enable us to liaise and work with the local community and schools to inform and engage them about the value of the marine environment and its ecological importance. In doing so we aim to promote and nurture local awareness and responsibility for the well being of the marine environment and appreciation of its importance and value both as a wildlife, and a vital economic, resource.
To date……..
The project started back in October of 2007, and after a busy 6 months is now in full swing delivering a wide ranging programme of school visits, community workshops, guided walks, Seashore Safaris and similar events based around the VMCA. This will give people from all ages and abilities the chance to explore and learn about this very special place. To date, over 35 school trips are booked in between April to July, resulting in over 550 children visiting Looe Island as well as mainland visits to Hannafore Point. 22 community events have been organized, the most recent being a Marine Pirate Tresure Hunt at Hannafore which had an attendance of over 50 people. In addition to the education and outreach programme, a volunteer group of over 50 members has been established to survey and monitor the VMCA, to assess the quality of the area, and to track changes in the future.
With such a positive start and strong community support, the project can only go from strength to strength, so watch this space! To find out more about events, volunteering opportunities, or the project itself and how you may be able to get involved please contact Abigail Crosby, Marine Education Officer, on 07917 765581 or email on abby@cornwt.demon.co.uk