21 February 2008
Wildlife experts to run accreditation course for marine charter vessels Marine wildlife experts Stephen Westcott and Colin Speedie are to visit Jersey to run an accreditation course for operators of registered passenger and charter vessels who wish to view marine wildlife. This joint initiative between Planning and Environment and Jersey Tourism aims to encourage sustainable tourism and safeguard the long-term future of our precious marine life, for the benefit of future generations. It forms part of the schedule of initiatives from the Planning and Environment Department to develop a Marine Wildlife Watching Code for Jersey.
The WiSe (Wildlife Safe) scheme is aimed at operators of small to medium sized commercial passenger carrying vessels. It is not only targeted at operators who offer dedicated marine wildlife viewing trips, but also at those operators who simply view marine wildlife on an opportunistic basis.
The WiSe scheme is the first and only programme in the UK to offer Training and Accreditation to boat operators interested in the development of sustainable marine ecotourism. Now recognised as the national standard for this type of activity, the Planning and Environment Department and Jersey Tourism have welcomed the opportunity to introduce the scheme in Jersey.
Whales, dolphins, seals, porpoises and all seabirds are protected under the Conservation of Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2000. Operators taking the WiSe scheme will receive training in the fundamentals of how different species react to the approach of vessels, and how to reduce disturbance to a minimum, in an effort to ensure that all boat based operations that encounter marine wildlife do so in a sustainable manner.
Minister for Economic Development, Senator Philip Ozouf, who was originally responsible for extending RAMSAR to Les Écréhous and Les Minquiers, is keen to encourage participation “I am totally committed to ‘eco-tourism’ and want to encourage sustainable activity in the marine environment. The WiSe scheme supports our other ‘green’ tourism initiatives and I hope that all commercial operators attend this valuable course“
Minister for Planning and Environment, Senator Freddie Cohen added: ‘‘We are very fortunate in Jersey to be blessed with ample opportunities to view marine wildlife. But we all have a responsibility to ensure that the safety and well-being of the wildlife is respected. As part of our ongoing ECO-ACTIVE campaign we would like to encourage anyone taking a wildlife watching trip to choose a WiSe accredited operator.’
The Codes of Conduct for the different species that will be presented have been arrived at through many years of research and commercial experience, and have been designed to be straightforward, practical and ensure the safety not only of the animals being observed, but also of the watchers.
Colin Speedie of WiSe said: “By all working together, we can ensure that a viable long-term opportunity will be developed for the benefit of the local community, tourists and marine wildlife alike. By becoming a WiSe operator, Jersey-based companies will benefit from the experience, knowledge and support of the organisers, show their commitment to Jersey’s wonderful wildlife, and become part of a widely publicised body with a rapidly developing profile.”
The accreditation course will take place on Wednesday 5th March 2008. Anyone interested in attending should contact Sarah Le Claire on tel. 441614.
In recognition of the growing enthusiasm amongst the general public for viewing marine wildlife, WiSe have also recently turned their attention to the boat-owning public. Anyone with an interested is encouraged to come to a talk by Colin Speedie and Stephen Westcott about the WiSe Way to Watch Marine Wildlife to be held on Tuesday 4th March at 7pm at St Helier Yacht Club.
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Notes to Editors:
1. For further information, please contact Sarah Le Claire, Assistant Director for Policy, Environment Department, Howard Davis Farm. Tel. 441614. Email: s.leclaire@gov.je
2. Short biography of Colin Speedie and Stephen Westcott below:
Colin Speedie is a writer and photographer with a lifelong attachment to the sea. He has spent much of the last twenty years watching and researching marine wildlife such as whales and dolphins, turtles and most recently basking sharks from the decks of sailing vessels around Britain. For the last nine years he has led the Wildlife Trusts’ Basking Shark project covering around 25,000km of surveys between the English Channel and the Outer Hebrides. More recently he founded the WiSe Scheme, the UK’s first marine wildlife watching operators training and accreditation course.
He is writer and photographer, and has more recently taken an interest in film, as a means of illuminating the marine world and its “mega” inhabitants.
Stephen Westcott has worked on seal and seabird research projects all around the British Isles, most especially in his native county of Devon, but also around the wild coasts of Cornwall, Wales and Scotland. As a widely practicing wildlife tour guide, he has also developed a keen sense of the needs of wildlife being watched by man, and fortunately he has brought this experience to the benefit of the WiSe Scheme and its operators.
Working literally from sea level aboard a wave ski, Stephen has an intimate knowledge of the creatures he studies from their eye view, and has translated this into word through his regular public speaking and photo-journalism, as well as in book form.
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