The Mersey Estuary needs your help:
The new Liverpool Mayor, Steve Rotheram, says he wants a £3.5bn tidal barrage to be built across the Mersey to generate clean energy and create jobs.
This would be devastating for the estuary and its internationally important wildlife. I would like you to write to your MP, your local councillor or the Mayor himself, especially if you live in Liverpool or Birkenhead to try and dissuade him from this plan. Below are some facts about the Mersey Estuary and a link to an article in the Liverpool Echo in which the new Mayor Steve Rotherham, says,
“Bringing forward a new business and logistical plan for a Mersey tidal barrage will be one of the major priorities of my mayoral administration.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/…/metro-mayor-steve-rotheram…
10 Facts about the Mersey Estuary:
• The Mersey estuary is the 11th best wetland in Britain for water birds.
• It is protected by national legislation, as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and international legislation by the Birds Directive as a Special Protection Area.
• It is also a Ramsar site which is a worldwide treaty established by UNESCO in 1971 and signed by 169 countries pledging to protect their most important wetlands
• It is the best place in the UK for a small wading bird called Dunlin and a large and colourful duck called the Shelduck. This winter we recorded a record-breaking number of over 68,000 Dunlin.
• It is also internationally important for Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank
• It is nationally important for Grey Plover, Lapwing, Ruff and Curlew
• Internationally important means it is host to more than 1% of Europe’s population and nationally important means it holds more than 1% of the UK’s population. For dunlin 68,000 is 20% of the UK’s birds.
• All of these birds rely on the intertidal area, which are a very rich food source.
• Any barrage that will reduce either the amount of intertidal area or the amount of time it is exposed and available to birds will have an impact on these birds.
• It is a real, untamed wilderness in the middle of a massive urban area and should be celebrated not damaged by so called “green” energy.
Dermot Smith
This would be devastating for the estuary and its internationally important wildlife. I would like you to write to your MP, your local councillor or the Mayor himself, especially if you live in Liverpool or Birkenhead to try and dissuade him from this plan. Below are some facts about the Mersey Estuary and a link to an article in the Liverpool Echo in which the new Mayor Steve Rotherham, says,
“Bringing forward a new business and logistical plan for a Mersey tidal barrage will be one of the major priorities of my mayoral administration.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/…/metro-mayor-steve-rotheram…
10 Facts about the Mersey Estuary:
• The Mersey estuary is the 11th best wetland in Britain for water birds.
• It is protected by national legislation, as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and international legislation by the Birds Directive as a Special Protection Area.
• It is also a Ramsar site which is a worldwide treaty established by UNESCO in 1971 and signed by 169 countries pledging to protect their most important wetlands
• It is the best place in the UK for a small wading bird called Dunlin and a large and colourful duck called the Shelduck. This winter we recorded a record-breaking number of over 68,000 Dunlin.
• It is also internationally important for Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank
• It is nationally important for Grey Plover, Lapwing, Ruff and Curlew
• Internationally important means it is host to more than 1% of Europe’s population and nationally important means it holds more than 1% of the UK’s population. For dunlin 68,000 is 20% of the UK’s birds.
• All of these birds rely on the intertidal area, which are a very rich food source.
• Any barrage that will reduce either the amount of intertidal area or the amount of time it is exposed and available to birds will have an impact on these birds.
• It is a real, untamed wilderness in the middle of a massive urban area and should be celebrated not damaged by so called “green” energy.
Dermot Smith
Dunlins are a Nationally important bird on the Mersey Estuary. © Mersey WeBS
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Dermot Smith
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