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6 October 2009
The North Sea – Our Marine Heritage
The North Sea coastline and its history have over the years been a closely guarded secret, full of mystery, surprise and deprivation. Today we still find relics of the past within our marine environment, whether they take the form of shipwrecks lost to the North Seas harsh conditions, mammoth tusks found off the coast of Yorkshire reminding us that Dogger Bank was once a land footbridge for woolly mammoths or heavy cannon balls still found in trawl nets off the coast of Suffolk, reminding us of previous battles at sea.
Kirsten Smith, Marine Advocacy Officer comments:
“The North Sea is an incredibly fascinating place. Did you know that the North Sea coastline was once a hive of smuggling activity, the close location of houses along the coastline meant that smuggled goods could be transferred from house to house through a series of linked attics, cellars secret doors and tunnels and in many coastal villages herring was eaten almost everyday, both fresh when in season and salted the rest of the year.”
Our history is evident along the entirety of the coastline, opening our eyes to the origin of where some of the current issues affecting marine life have stemmed from. Learn about some of the ways in which we have used our marine and coastal environment and how it has shaped marine life and the way we use the sea today. Visit www.northseawildlife.org.uk and get involved with The Wildlife Trusts marine work today!
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Notes to editors:
For more details, please contact:
Kirsten Smith
Marine Advocacy Officer (North Sea)
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, 1 St George’s Place, York, YO24 1GN
kirsten.smith@ywt.org.uk
www.ywt.org.uk
Tel 01904 659570
The Wildlife Trusts (TWT)
There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With 760,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch. We manage 2,200 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living.
The Wildlife Trusts have been campaigning for 10 years for new laws to provide stronger protection for marine life and better management of activities at sea. The introduction of a Marine and Coastal Access Bill to Parliament in December 2008 was a major campaign milestone. For more information, click here Marine