Appendix 1

WIGTOWN BAY LOCAL NATURE RESERVE – CROOK OF BALDOON

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

The management options suggested below have been established by evaluating the information gathered from the questionnaires distributed to wildfowlers, discussion with wildfowling representatives, discussion with the RSPB, representation from the Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve Advisory Management Committee and accommodation providers via the Wigtown and District Chamber of Commerce as well as representations from concerned individuals.

Throughout the information gathering process the Council identified three strands that required investigation and consideration in order that a management proposal for the inclusion of the Crook of Baldoon within the LNR and the management of wildfowling at the Crook of Baldoon and the adjacent 10m strip be reached.

They are:

  • The current value of wildfowling to the Wigtown economy.
  • The potential value of nature based tourism to the Wigtown economy.
  • Best management practice for the LNR.

Management Option 1

Option
  • To continue wildfowling on the 10m strip under the permit scheme for the full length of the Crook of Baldoon as designated within the LNR.
  • The 10m strip is designated a seasonal permit only area.
  • No shooting to take place on the green merse or creeks of the Crook of Baldoon.
  • No change to permit numbers available.

For
  • It continues wildfowling at the Crook as has been experienced by wildfowlers in the past but in a managed manner.
  • It resolves shooting issues that have been reported in that area due to it being unregulated.
  • It can be wardened under the voluntary warden scheme.
  • The boundaries are easily defined for management of wildfowling in the area.
/ Against
  • It does not allow for any respite or provide a no shoot passage for wildfowl exiting or entering the sanctuary area of the reserve from the west south of Barsalloch farm.
  • Having the 10m strip as a seasonal permit only area would be too restrictive regarding the availability of wildfowling opportunities for weekly permit holders within the reserve.
  • Restricting visitor access to the reserve may have a negative impact on the potential income generation from visiting wildfowlers by local businesses in particular accommodation providers.
  • It would allow a no shoot passage for wildfowl to access the Castle Field wetland.

Management Option 2

Option
  • No shooting to be allowed on the 10m strip adjacent to the Crook Of Baldoon.
  • No shooting of the green merse or creeks of the Crook of Baldoon.
  • Re-instating the BarsallochMerse no shoot area to a shoot area.
  • No change to permit numbers available.

For
  • No shooting would provide a large undisturbed area available for wildfowl and adjacent to the main goose roost.
  • It would ease the wardening burden as anyone wildfowling in the area would be known to be breaking the LNR byelaws.
  • It would provide an area to be promoted for access by nature based tourists where they would not disturb wildfowlers.
  • It would provide the best access and opportunity for viewing geese on the reserve.
  • It would concentrate all of the wildfowling to north of the River Bladnoch.
  • It would partially compensate the loss of the shooting to the south of the River Bladnoch by reinstating the Barsallochmerse to a shoot area.
/ Against
  • There is a likelihood that the no shooting option would have a negative impact on the income generated by local businesses from wildfowlers at a quiet tourist time of year.
  • It may have a negative impact on the wildfowling experience on the rest of the reserve if such a large area was designated as no shooting placing excessive pressure on the existing permit area.
  • The nature based tourism product is not of a quality or at a capacity that could generate comparable income lost from wildfowlers at this time.
  • It would concentrate all of the wildfowling to north of the River Bladnoch.

Management Option 3
Option
  • To continue wildfowling on the 10m strip from the LNR southern boundary at South Balfern to the first breakwater north of the crook of Baldoonsteading.
  • No shooting from the first breakwater north of the Crook OfBaldoonsteading to the River Bladnoch.
  • No shooting on the green merse or creeks of the Crook of Baldoon.
  • No decoying south of the Baldnoch, for the entire length of the Crook of Baldoon
  • Tidal creeks to be used for the first 10ft for wildfowling, to be identified and delineated by markers along the Crook of Baldoon
  • Monitoring of species taken through wildfowling within the Crook of Baldoon would be a discussed between the RSPB and the Wildfowling clubs locally
  • Continue the seasonal permits exclusive area.
  • Allow weekly permits to shoot six days on the reserve other than in the seasonal permit exclusion area.
  • No change to the number of permits available.

For
  • The greater extent of the 10m strip at the Crook of Baldoon would still be available for wildfowling.
  • It would be controlled by the byelaws and permit scheme and therefore managed under the voluntary wildfowling warden scheme.
  • The proposed no shoot area provides a second area available for passage by wildfowl to and from the sanctuary area.
  • The proposed no shoot zone is contiguous to the Castle Field wetland, Maidland wetland and an area of improved grassland that the RSPB intend to modify into a more suitable bird habitat and provides a respite area.
  • The boundaries are easily defined for management of wildfowling in the area.
  • In the longer term development of the Crook of Baldoon it is the northern end of the reserve that is likely to be developed for public access and this would be complemented by the proposed no shoot zone.
/ Against
  • There is a loss of area available to shoot by introducing the no shoot zone.
  • The seasonal permit holders lose the exclusive use of the LNR on a Saturday.

Recommendation

Having taken all of the representations into account we are recommending Management Option 3 and we do so for the following reasons:

  • Continuation of shooting on the 10m strip adjacent to the Crook of Baldoon supports a known and existing income stream via wildfowling spend to the local economy. If we were to stop shooting completely at the Crook of Baldoon this would potentially jeopardise businesses and employment in the area at a very slow time of the year for other tourists.
  • We are fully aware and are appreciative of the value of nature based tourism both in the national and regional context. We are also very conscious of the fact that the RSPB through its reserves and projects within the region contributes considerably to that regional visitor spend. We are of the opinion however that the nature based tourism project in relation to the LNR and Crook of Baldoon is not of a sufficient level at this time to compensate for losses in wildfowling spend at this time. We do expect the nature based tourism product to grow as the RSPB develop the Crook of Baldoon which is why we are recommending a review period in five years (2018) to reassess the situation and whether any further management changes are required.
  • We are recommending that there is no shooting on the green merse or in the creeks at the Crook of Baldoon. The opinion of wildfowling interests is that the green merse and creeks at the Crook of Baldoon are of limited value to wildfowlers and wildfowling whilst retaining the 10m strip is the best of the shooting available in that area. This decision would also meet the aspirations of the landowner the RSPB. If there are any “grey” areas where the edge of the merse is unclear and the 10m strip begins we will demarcate those areas with white posts by negotiation with wildfowling interests and the landowner. This method of defining the edge of the 10m strip adjacent to the sanctuary area will be extended to all parts of the LNR that are shot and where the edge of the merse is unclear. This will aid visiting wildfowlers and wardening of the shooting.
  • We are also recommending a no shoot zone to the north of the Crook of Baldoon holding and the 10m strip. This is effectively the area from the first breakwater north of the Crook of Baldoonsteading to the River Bladnoch. From a management perspective for the birds in the bay we feel that there is a need for a no shoot zone to allow passage for birds to and from the LNR in keeping with the no shoot zone at Barsallochmerse. The added value of having the no shoot zone in this area is that it is contiguous to the Castle Field wetland, Maidland wetland and the area to the north of the Crook of Baldoon where the RSPB have already started surveying to modify the habitat for the benefit of birds. In that area it also provides a reasonable area of merse grassland for birds feeding etc. This then leaves the rest of the 10m strip south for shooting which then bounds with other areas that are shot out with the reserve.
  • We are not recommending any increase to the numbers of wildfowling permits issued at this time. In any given season there are 168 seasonal permits available which consists of club seasonal, outside seasonal and landowner seasonal permits. In addition to the seasonal permits there are 55 weekly permits issued. It is known that the “peak” of the wildfowling season in Wigtown Bay is the last six weeks of the season. In the 2009/10 season the uptake of weekly permits was 41% of those available and in the last season 2010/11 it was 55%. We would therefore conclude that there is still available capacity for visiting wildfowlers by managing the 10m strip at the Crook of Baldoon under the permit scheme. We will of course keep this under review but we must also be aware of the carrying capacity of the area managed for wildfowling within the reserve and the impacts it has.
  • We have recommended that the wildfowling week available to weekly permit holders changes. At this moment in time weekly permit holders can only shoot five days on the reserve, Monday to Friday. Seasonal permit holders have six days available Monday to Saturday. From the returned questionnaires it was evident that visiting wildfowlers access more than just the LNR for their wildfowling in the area, that includes the 10m strip and Crook of Baldoon as they are both currently out with the LNR and permit scheme. Interpreting the replies from the questionnaire the assumption could be made that the weekly permit holder have been utilising the local and available shooting at the Crook of Baldoon for their sixth day of stay in the area. If that area was not available to weekly permit holders they may look elsewhere for a last days shooting or reduce their stay by a day and that could have a negative impact on their spend in the area. We are therefore recommending that not only the 10m strip but the whole of the reserve shooting area other than the existing exclusive seasonal permit holders area becomes available to weekly permits for six days. This will both encourage them to stay in the locality for the full week but also spread the load of wildfowling across the LNR.