Operation Seabird targets marine crime and protects wildlife

Operation Seabird flew into Salcombe recently as police offered free forensic marking for high value marine gear, as well as advice on how to avoid disturbing wildlife at the coast.

Devon and Cornwall Police set up a stand in the seaside town as part of their ongoing work with other agencies and partners to spread the word to local residents and holiday makers.

Boat owners and those with jet skis and outboard motors could receive advice about keeping their belongings safe and have their valuables forensically marked.

PC Clarke Orchard, from the Rural Affairs Team, explained: “We want people to enjoy the beautiful wildlife in this country without disturbing it and Operation Seabird helps with that.   

“We have witnessed an extremely busy summer along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. Salcombe is a vibrant harbour and has an abundance of marine life such as local seals, dolphins and other mammals that need protecting. We are mindful it is a space for all to share and enjoy, including with various watercraft such as jet skis and boats.

“We are dedicated to the conservation of wildlife, habitats, species, and any other associated wildlife issues such as disturbance with watercraft. Having colleagues and representatives from the relevant partner agencies in attendance was vital in our efforts to continue to provide and display strong links with the local maritime community.

“We were also pleased to offer free property marking for attendees, helping to deter theft and make it easier to identify the rightful owner of stolen marine gear.”

Those taking part in the operation earlier this month included, Salcombe Harbour Authority, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), RNLI Water Safety team and South Devon National Landscape. Also present at the Fore Street event were officers from the Force’s Rural Affairs Team and local neighbourhood team.

Attendees were also able to get their marine gear marked forensically. Property marking can help deter theft, make stolen items easier to identify and recover, and provide officers with additional opportunities to link recovered property back to its rightful owner. It also helps demonstrate ownership should an item be recovered during an investigation.

Clarke added: “Such collaborative efforts are hugely beneficial and have been positively received by partners and the local community, continuing to create awareness around Operation Seabird, as well as Project Kraken which encourages the public and coastal communities to report unusual or suspicious behaviour around the UK’s shores and borders.

"The national initiative aims to raise awareness of terrorism and criminal or suspicious activity around coasts and borders. Common types of coastal crime include theft, smuggling and criminal damage.”  

Police plan to organise more Operation Seabird community events in the coming months.  

Phil Goodhead, Deputy Harbour Master for Salcombe Harbour Authority, added: “Operation Seabird was an invaluable community engagement event focused on educating local residents on wildlife protection, water safety, and practical measures to help prevent theft.

“The operation also provided an excellent opportunity to engage with boat owners, promote good harbour practices, and share guidance on minimising disturbance to seabirds and other marine wildlife.

“We would like to thank everyone involved for their support in making the event a success and for helping to enhance both the security and environmental stewardship of Salcombe Harbour.”

Nigel Mortimer, Estuaries Officer for South Devon National Landscape, said: “We were pleased to support the Salcombe event and be able to discuss the wonders and sensitivities of our local estuaries, not just the disturbance of animals at sea and in the estuary but the habitats and species that they and we, very much depend upon - such as our local seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, mudflats and even the surrounding waterside trees with their branches reaching the tidal waters - a feature of our ria-type estuaries.

“We were able to highlight their importance to many fish species as nursery grounds and colossal amounts of carbon trapped and stored by them.”

To keep up to date with rural crime information in your area, sign up to the free Devon and Cornwall Police Community Messaging system: www.alerts.dc.police.uk or follow the Rural Affairs team on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DCPoliceRural