Threat to Solent wildlife

State of The Solent – produced by The Solent Forum – highlights trends in the natural and human environments around the Solent, indicating areas for concern as well as celebration.

The aim, says forum chairman Professor Mike Clark, is to build up a picture of the Solent’s current condition so that those responsible for planning and managing the coast can put measures in place to protect it.

Researchers measured the “health” of the Solent by looking at key areas from climate change, water quality and nature conservation to marine industries, human settlement and tourism, then considered the implications of these findings for future coastal management.

Among some of the most worrying trends identified by the report was a decline in bird populations due to the effects of “coastal squeeze”.

Pressures such as climate change, rising sea levels and the number of people living, working and playing on the south coast are gradually leaving our wildlife with less and less space.

Alerts have been raised for 18 species of bird across the Solent and Southampton Water, with dunlin and shelduck thought to be at particular risk of dwindling numbers through habitat loss. And birds aren’t the only creatures struggling.

The number of breeding salmon, pictured below right, returning to the Rivers Test and Itchen is also on the decline, while stocks of oysters, particularly in western parts of the Solent, are at very low levels.

Oyster fishing is big business in the Solent and although the reason for the decline is yet to be established, Solent Forum says it will have serious implications on the area’s economy and the fishermen who rely upon it.

More happily, despite the f i n a n c i a l downturn and a reduction in freight handled by major ports in the Solent, Southampton’s cruise industry thrives with a three per cent growth in passenger embarkations between 2008 and 2009.

When it comes to water quality, the Solent scores top marks, with all of its bathing waters complying with EC Bathing Water Directive Standards since 2001.

Litter along the shores of the Solent is also being carefully monitored. More than 50 beaches took part in The Marine Conservation Society’s annual beach litter survey Beachwatch in 2009, discovering that most litter comes from beach visitors or fishing.

Litter from shipping, flytipping and sewage-related waste accounted for under five per cent of rubbish along the Solent.

In terms of land management, the Solent continues to be a heavily populated area. With 1.3m people living on the Solent coastline, the spectre of new development is a c o n s t a n t pressure.

S o l e n t Forum welcomes the findings that most local a u t h o r i t i e s are building more than 70 per cent of their new developments on brownfield sites (previously developed land).However with the increase in human settlement comes the consideration of sea defences.

The report shows that 78 per cent of mainland Solent coast now has coastal defences.

And with sea levels rising by an average of 2.9mm every year, it’s easy to see why.

While it is important to protect our coastline from erosion and rising tides, the report highlights an increasing trend of leaving certain stretches of coast to the elements.

For example, no longer maintaining so called ‘hard’ defences like groynes and walls, which interfere with the natural shifting of the shore, instead allowing beaches to return to natural changing states.

Councillor Mel Kendal, executive member for environment and transport said State of the Solent represented an “important reference document” for the Hampshire Coast.

“Hampshire County Council recognises the work of the Solent Forum in helping to manage and preserve our beautiful coastline,”

he said.

Mike Clark added: “We should not take the management strength of this data set for granted. Very few other parts of the UK coast can offer such a significant set of historic data against which to judge the present.”